Coming off the excitement of the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s easy to forget about the young talent the Cleveland Browns already had on hand. With a stellar class from the 2025 draft about to enter its second season, improvement from those players will also go a long way toward helping the still-rebuilding franchise turn things around.
Most notable among them would be linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a second-round pick who won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season. His spectacular debut was something of a surprise, but now that the bar has been raised, even more will be expected of him in his second campaign.
Analyst Lance Reisland is expecting a big impact year from the Browns defender, now that he is older and stronger.
“Really looking forward to Carson Schwesinger in year two. A year older, a year stronger. Defensive Rookie of the Year for a reason. Expect real impact early,” Reisland posted.
Really looking forward to Carson Schwesinger in year two. A year older, a year stronger. Defensive Rookie of the Year for a reason. Expect real impact early. #Browns pic.twitter.com/eWzgAIIs8q
— Lance Reisland (Coach Riz) (@LanceReisland) May 3, 2026
Schwesinger exceeded all reasonable expectations as the No. 33 overall pick from the 2025 draft. He made 156 combined tackles with 11 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions while starting 16 games. A leg injury kept him out of the season finale, denying him the chance to break the NFL rookie record of 174 total tackles, which was set by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis in 2007.
A similar season would allow Schwesinger to break the record for most tackles in a player’s first two seasons, which is held by Luke Kuechly, who had 320 total tackles in his first two years with the Carolina Panthers. The 23-year-old would need 165 tackles this season to break that mark, and Reisland seems to believe he is capable of doing that.
Defensive improvement from within will be very important to the Browns, who will be operating under first-time coordinator Mike Rutenberg this season. Cleveland used just two of its 10 picks in the 2026 draft on that side of the ball. Also, top free agent acquisition Quincy Williams isn’t an addition but more of a replacement for linebacker Devin Bush Jr., who left this offseason after an excellent year playing alongside Schwesinger.
So, it will be even more important for the second-year star to prove that he can live up to the standard he set last season.
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