Carson Schwesinger almost pulled off impressive feat in first season with Browns

Cleveland Browns rookie standout linebacker Carson Schwesinger almost did what seemed improbable at the beginning of the season with end of the year accolade.

Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Despite what was an incredibly ugly 5-12 season for the Cleveland Browns, one of the bright spots was the performances of their rookies from the 2025 NFL Draft class.

One of the standouts was rookie second-round pick linebacker Carson Schwesinger who shined from the first game of the season. His overall performance almost got him to do something that is incredibly rare: be an All-Pro selection.

While Schwesinger's teammate, Myles Garrett, got a first-team All-Pro selection, the rookie linebacker himself almost made it. Daft on Draft writer Cory Kinnan shared that Schwesinger actually received 17 first-team votes to be on the All-Pro team.

Shoutout Carson Schwesinger for 17 first-team All-Pro votes in his rookie season. Real hoops.

— Cory (@fakecorykinnan) January 10, 2026

It truly was an incredible first season for the 22-year-old linebacker out of UCLA, who exploded onto the scene early and stayed there. In 16 games, Schwesinger racked up 156 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, three pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions on the season.

There have been plenty of standout rookies from the 2025 class for the Browns, including Shedeur Sanders, Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and Mason Graham. None of them can compare to the kind of impact that Schwesinger has had on the defense.

Many just looked at the Browns' defense at the beginning of the season and thought it was decent, with guys like Garrett and Denzel Ward still playing at a high level. Schwesinger took it to a whole new level from a linebacker room that appeared to be the weak point of the defense before the year started.

Not many rookie linebackers that have come into the NFL over the last two decades have shown the kind of instincts that Schwesinger has to finding the ball carrier. He has an incredibly rare gift: a football IQ and pure instincts that let him find the ball carrier right away.

A massive credit has to be given to Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and linebacker coach Jason Tarver for developing him so quickly to make an impact right away. It shows that Schwesinger took in their coaching as he does all the small things right at the linebacker position.

Because of what Schwesinger has done in 2025, it's setting the Browns up well to just focus on offense during the offseason, since all the pieces are in place for the defense to be great in 2026. This no-longer-rookie linebacker has certainly found his place in Cleveland for what Browns fans hope will be a very long time.