We’re living in uncertain times for the Cleveland Browns, who are about to wrap up Week 2 of their head coach search and have some major roster decisions on the horizon, with the sketchy quarterback situation between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at the top of the list.
But we do know this for certain: Some of the best NFL rookies of the 2025 season starred on the field for Cleveland, and that should be the biggest draw for head coach candidates as the team narrows down its final choice.
ESPN published a ranking of the league’s best draft classes and the Browns came in at No. 2. Cleveland’s first-year players were so productive and, at times, dominant this season, that you could argue second place was an egregious snub.
There's more. Well-respected NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler gave the Browns some serious love in his 2025 All-Rookie Team for The Athletic, naming three separate players as starters. There were two no-brainers and a couple mild surprises for a group that will play a major role on Cleveland’s short- and long-term future.
The Athletic gives Browns rookies major recognition (but not everyone made the cut)
Star: LB Carson Schwesinger
As Browns fans know well, this was a no-brainer. According to Brugler, Schwesinger was the only NFL player this season with 150-plus tackles, 11-plus tackles for loss, and two or more interceptions — and he accomplished that feat while playing through multiple injuries in Week 17 and sitting out the season finale.
Off-ball linebackers almost never win Defensive Rookie of the Year. The last time it happened was in 2012 by Luke Kuechly, who Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson compared to Schwesinger prior to their game at Soldier Field in Week 15 this year. Schwesinger should be joining Kuechly on that list in short order.
Star: TE Harold Fannin Jr.
Fannin not only stood out in what ended up being a loaded 2025 tight end class — he led all Browns receivers in catches, yards, touchdowns, and targets despite missing the final 1.5 games of the season due to a groin injury.
Fannin had 30 catches for a gain of at least 10 yards and was among the league leaders in forced missed tackles with 22, per Brugler. He was named a starter alongside Tyler Warren of the Colts, with the pair edging out emerging Bears star Colston Loveland.
Snub: RB Quinshon Judkins
Judkins wound up missing the team and earning honorable mention, but he deserved better. He was leading all rookies in rushing before hitting a wall in Week 14; his game-by-game rushing totals were 26, 21 and 22 from that point on, before a brutal leg injury ended his season in Week 16.
It wasn’t all his fault, as the Browns’ offensive line was in complete shambles by the time the final month of the season rolled around. Judkins was well on pace for a 1,000-yard rushing season entering the stretch run, but still managed to gain 827 yards rushing, 171 receiving, and six total touchdowns in 13-plus games.
He was passed over by the Patriots’ TreVeyon Henderson, his former teammate at Ohio State, and No. 6 overall draft pick Ashton Jeanty. Both of those players were solid but far from perfect this season, and Judkins missing the cut was more circumstantial than anything.
Star: DT Mason Graham
This was a pleasant surprise, as Graham didn’t receive a ton of love from the national media after landing with Cleveland as the No. 5 overall pick. He got off to a slow start in more of an interior pass rushing role than he was used to in college at Michigan, but once he found his footing in the second half of the season, his production took off.
Graham wound up finishing second on the Browns in total QB pressures behind only Myles Garrett, and he did the bulk of his damage over the final nine games of the season. He played 765 total snaps as a rookie, per PFF, and is trending in the right direction entering Year 2.