The Cleveland Browns have so much turmoil on the offensive side of the ball that it will be very hard to envision a scenario where they win a ton of games this season. The saving grace for this team is the fact that the defense remains one of the best in the entire NFL.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell is all-in on the Browns defense, as he believes that superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett is second on his Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Denver's Nik Bonitto. While Garrett is close to taking home some silverware, one player may have an equally realistic shot at a major accolade this season.
Barnwell pegged rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger as his early pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year, beating out two rookie defensive backs who have started immediately in Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba and San Francisco 49ers nickel cornerback Upton Stout.
With the future of Cleveland's inside linebacker position looking like a major question coming into the year due to the uncertain status of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Schwesinger's hot start has made him a prime candidate to be a decade-long starter with the Browns.
Browns rookie Carson Schwesinger named DPOY favorite by ESPN
Schwesinger was considered to be a bit of a reach by some in the early stages of the 2025 NFL Draft, but the UCLA product has proven to be a very good use of the first pick of the second round. GM Andrew Berry has made mistakes, but he has drafted well on defense.
Barnwell notes that Schwesinger has made 12% of the total tackles for the Browns this season, and his low missed tackle rate of 3.1% puts him in the upper echelon among NFL linebackers. His performance in the win against Green Bay suggests that there is a bit of a clutch gene in him.
Rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham has been as good as advertised this season, and Cleveland has found a UDFA contributor in Adin Huntington. With oodles of draft picks in the future, it's hard not to get excited about the future of this defense with Schwesinger in the middle.
Concerns about Schwesinger's ability to get off blocks and make plays at the line of scrimmage don't appear to have weighed him down in the NFL. As long as Jim Schwartz is in charge of this defense, Schwesinger should serve as the heartbeat of the defense alongside Garrett's prodigious talent.