Los Angeles Rams, Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns, NFL
2026 NFL Top 100: Young Star Soars on List Entering Year 3 1
The 2026 NFL Top 100 list continues to showcase some of the young talent in the league as they continue to improve on their rookie contracts. This is a great sign for the sport as a whole, and we are seeing players be recognized for their efforts. Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest young star who made the 2026 NFL Top 100 list.
Jared Verse sees a massive jump in his 2026 NFL Top 100 ranking
Los Angeles Rams, Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns, 2026 NFL Top 100Los Angeles Rams, Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns, 2026 NFL Top 100
Cleveland Browns Jared Verse runs a drill during team OTAs at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus of the Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio on June 2, 2026.
Jared Verse had a major improvement during the 2025 season, as he became the centerpiece of what the Cleveland Browns got for trading defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. He was able to climb 18 spots to 35th place on the top 100 list. NFL’s Bobby Kownack wrote the following blurb regarding Verse’s inclusion on the 2026 NFL Top 100 list:
“Verse’s two-year Rams tenure was marked by success at every turn. The 2024 No. 19 overall pick made the Pro Bowl and won AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season, then followed it up by besting his previous sack total by three amid another Pro Bowl campaign. He’s also now 2 for 2 landing on the NFL Top 100 list. Any future accolades will have to come in new colors, though. Verse was key to the Browns’ willingness to trade Myles Garrett to Los Angeles, casting the 25-year-old in a feature role of Cleveland’s newest rebuild.”
Verse is a two-time Pro Bowler in his first two seasons in the league. The 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year played in all 17 games and recorded 58 total tackles (35 solo, 23 assists) with 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 27 quarterback hits, one pass deflection, and three forced fumbles. With a change of scenery in Cleveland, there is a chance for him to develop into a star without the added pressure of winning games. However, filling the major hole of Myles Garrett in Cleveland will be difficult.
Below are the defensive ends who have been named to the 2026 NFL Top 100 list so far:
100: New Orleans Saints DE Cameron Jordan
91: Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat
90: Carolina Panthers DE Derrick Brown
73: Denver Broncos DE Zach Allen
48: Jacksonville Jaguars DE Josh Hines-Allen
43: Kansas City Chiefs DE Chris Jones
35: Cleveland Browns DE Jared Verse
The 2026 NFL Top 100 list showcases the elite talent in the league heading into the season. This list is voted entirely on by the players during the previous year. Each weekday on social media, two names are revealed until we reach the top 10 players remaining. At that point, only one name will be announced each weekday until the entire 2026 NFL Top 100 list is published on Friday, Sept. 4. It will be interesting to see how many defensive ends rank ahead of Jared Verse.