Few, if any, rookies have been as positively impactful to their team as Carson Schwesinger through four weeks of the 2025 NFL campaign. It hasn't necessarily shown up in the win-loss column just yet, but the Cleveland Browns' burgeoning linebacker has been a legitimate difference-maker from the jump.
Schwesinger's immediate contributions are one of the notable reasons the Browns boast arguably the best defense in football. He's wasted no time settling into an every-down role, proving capable of handling a significant workload and dominating with it. Albeit a small sample size, the Browns seemingly found a long-term mainstay with the No. 33 overall pick in this year's draft.
Browns rookie LB Carson Schwesinger looks like a star in the making
Pro Football Focus (PFF) lists Schwesinger as the third-highest-graded player among his newcomer classmates thus far with a high-quality 84.1 overall mark ($). If there's one area he's been average yet satisfactory in, it's pass rushing. Nevertheless, the Browns have been willing and able to lean on him in every facet of the game.
Whether Schwesinger is disrupting the opposing quarterback, stopping the run or dropping back in coverage, he has fared well, displaying tremendous versatility. The former UCLA standout even returned to his special teams roots that landed him a walk-on opportunity with the Bruins. Talk about a total package and a jack of all trades.
At this rate, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may ask Schwesinger to master plumbing and help with some yard work. The latter's do-it-all skill set gives Cleveland a chess piece it can move around the formation. Browns perennial Defensive Player of the Year shortlist candidate Myles Garrett spotlights an ace in the hole like this by simply existing, and it's shown.
Oddsmakers give Schwesinger the third-shortest betting odds to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and rightfully so. Approximately a quarter of the way through his first season as a pro, he has 31 tackles (two for loss), two quarterback hits and a sack. Keeping him off the final voting ballot will be difficult if this continues, and that could only be the beginning of the awards and recognition.
Cleveland did an excellent job of adding young talent this past offseason, identifying several prospects with the potential to be franchise players. Schwesinger has perhaps been the most impressive of the bunch, flashing immense upside in his early Browns career.