New York Giants Draft Prospect: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

Carson Schwesinger offers value-added on special teams.

Carson Schwesinger, LB

Height: 6’2 ½”
Weight: 242 lbs
Class: RS-Junior
School: UCLA
Hand size: 9 ¼”
Arm length: 31 ⅝”
Vertical Jump: 39 ½”
Bench Press: 20 reps
STATS

A former ZERO star recruit – a walk on – at UCLA from Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California. Schwesinger recorded 268 tackles over his four years playing varsity in high school while also catching 115 passes for 1,670 yards with ten touchdowns.

He walked on to UCLA, was redshirted in 2021, and as a special teams’ player and reserve linebacker in 2022 and 2023.

Then 2024 arrived. Schwesinger played in 12 games, starting 10 of them and was a First-Team All-American (AP) and was a Butkus Award Finalist and the Burlsworth Trophy. He was First-Team All-Big Ten and led the nation with 90 solo tackles.

He was named a team captain heading into the 2024 season. He was invited to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl but he could not participate. He did, however, perform the vertical jump and bench press at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, but a minor hamstring injury prevented him from doing other tests.

Strengths

Excellent size with long legs and good thickness
Super quick athlete with elite explosiveness downhill
Sideline-to-sideline range with elite smooth acceleration
Very good agility and change of direction
Fluid athlete who maneuvers in space very well
Everything about Schwesinger is fast
Elite play speed – instincts + processing + athletic ability
Excellent processing to see plays and react
Routinely beats offensive lineman to their landmarks
Understands angles as a run defender
Excellent run defense outside the numbers
Very good run defense in the tackle box
Solid overall stack & shed ability
Good overall play strength
Excellent tackler with crushing hits – physical
Violent at the point of contact – wraps up/drives through
Drops weight and breaks down well to come square
Good coverage feel – zone awareness/discipline
Good understanding of space in coverage – route recognition!
Asset as a blitzer – rushed the passer with force
Elite motor
Excellent special teams background

UCLA ILB Carson Schwesingerhttps://t.co/6I6vIqvhqp
— Cañones y Football (@Bucs_es) March 2, 2025

Weaknesses

One year of production
Not the longest player – stack & shed when engaged is not elite
Ran himself out of plays – sometimes too quick for his own good
Instincts and anticipation was used against him via misdirections

Summary

Carson Schwesinger is a rare find; a walk on prospect with just one year of true playing experience, yet he processes and plays like a four-year starter and he has elite athletic traits to maximize what’s between his ears. He’s slippery when penetrating, with an ability to coordinate his feet/hands/and shoulders – while square – to dip underneath blocks and present his numbers to a target.

Schwesinger has true sideline-to-sideline range and a motor that rarely needs fuel. He only had one year of production and can be overly aggressive at times, but he’s an ideal 4-3 WILL linebacker with upside to play other positions at the second level. His ability to fluidly cover ground with quickness in any direction while staying disciplined with his eyes are traits that will lead to an immediate impact at the next level. He’s a very fun player to watch.

GRADE: 6.89

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

Carson Schwesinger, LB

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

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