The Cleveland Browns have found a special rookie in this class.
While most eyes are on DT Mason Graham, and rightfully so, it is LB Carson Schwesinger taking the league by storm.
That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to see PFF’s Gordon McGuinness naming him the ‘Defensive Rookie of the Quarter’ in the first quarter of the regular season.
In his latest column for PFF, he had him ahead of multiple first-round picks:
“Defensive Rookie of the Quarter: LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns,” McGuinness wrote. “New York Giants edge defender Abdul Carter and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell are also in the running here, but it is Schwesinger who takes the spot at this point in the year. One of just five linebackers in the NFL with a PFF grade above 75.0 both against the run and in coverage, his 84.1 overall PFF grade is the best among all rookie linebackers.”
To be fair, Graham has also been spectacular.
He’s been as good as advertised against the run, and he’s taken huge strides as a pass-rusher as well.
Then again, Schwesinger has been spectacular.
His energy has been contagious, and it sometimes feels like there are multiple Carson Schwesingers on the field.
His football IQ and instincts are superb, and he looks like a veteran out there.
While he hasn’t been around for long, he’s already drawn comparisons to a legendary linebacker like Luke Kuechly.
Of course, this is just the beginning, and he still has to prove that he can do this consistently throughout the course of a full season.
But even in a class stacked with defensive studs, Schwesinger has been the most impressive of all, and it hasn’t been particularly close.
The Browns needed someone to step up and replace the injured Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and they found much more than that with the first pick of the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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