ESPN released its annual top 100 players ranking this week, built from the votes of 12 NFL analysts and reporters projecting the best performers league-wide for the 2026 season. The Browns placed 2 players on that list, a notable showing for a defense that has undergone significant change over the past year. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger and edge rusher Jared Verse both earned spots, with ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi providing the reasoning behind each selection.
“The NFL’s reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year set a high bar with 156 combined tackles, but the Browns expect Schwesinger to clear it in 2026. Schwesinger also connected with his childhood idol, Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly, this offseason in hopes of taking his game to another level; The Browns traded a two time Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, but Verse was a cornerstone, not a consolation prize, for Cleveland in the blockbuster deal,” Oyefusi wrote.
Schwesinger checked in at No. 85 on the list after a rookie season that saw him win Defensive Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Browns player to earn that honor since linebacker Chip Banks accomplished the feat back in 1982. His 156 combined tackles set an extremely high bar for a first-year player, and ESPN’s own projections for 2026 have him matching that number almost exactly, forecasting another 156 tackles to go along with 4 pass deflections, 2 sacks and an interception. The offseason work Schwesinger put in with Luke Kuechly speaks to how seriously he is approaching the jump from a strong rookie campaign to sustained stardom.
Verse landed at No. 69, a jump of 14 spots from where he ranked heading into the 2025 season. Verse has generated 99 quarterback pressures across his first 2 NFL seasons, trailing only Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett himself over that same stretch. ESPN projects Verse for 56 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a pass deflection in 2026.
Together, Schwesinger and Verse represent the foundation defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg is building his first unit around in Cleveland. Both players enter 2026 with legitimate breakout expectations already attached to their names. If both players perform to the level ESPN projects, the Browns defense could be positioned for one of its more disruptive seasons in recent memory.
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