Carson Schwesinger had one of the best rookie seasons any linebacker has produced in recent memory. The second-round pick out of UCLA was a force from day one, winning both the AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year awards after leading the Browns with 156 tackles, adding two interceptions, nine pass deflections, and 2.5 sacks across 16 games. He was the heart of a Cleveland defense that ranked among the best in the league despite the team going 5-12.
Now, a respected veteran teammate is making a bold claim about just how good Schwesinger can become.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell spoke on the young linebacker, and his words were hard to ignore.
“He can be one of the greats to ever play in this league,” Campbell said.
#Browns CB Tyson Campbell on 2nd-year LB Carson Schwesinger: "He can be one of the greats to ever play in this league."
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) April 8, 2026
When a player who has been in the league long enough to know the difference between good and great uses that kind of language, it deserves attention.
Schwesinger turned 23 years old in February. He is 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, and plays with the instincts of a ten-year veteran. His 156 tackles as a rookie ranked first among all defensive players in the Browns’ 2025 draft class, and his ability to cover ground sideline to sideline while also holding up physically at the point of attack gave the Cleveland defense a different dimension than it had before he arrived.
The Browns drafted him 33rd overall, a pick that looks increasingly like a steal given what he produced as a 22-year-old. He played in 16 games, started all 16, and never looked out of place against anyone he lined up against.
Schwesinger walks into his second season with new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, a new defensive scheme taking shape, and a roster that added Quincy Williams at linebacker alongside him. The supporting cast around him is better.
If Campbell is right, Browns fans have not yet seen anywhere close to the best version of this player.
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