With all of the attention focused on the departure of Myles Garret and the arrival of Jared Verse in the midst of the Cleveland Browns’ preseason workouts, some of their returning defensive players may have been underappreciated. That is particularly true of linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who is the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In fact, the addition of Verse in the trade with the Los Angeles Rams makes the Browns the first team in league history to have consecutive Rookies of the Year on the same defense. The edge rusher quickly established himself as a leader, and he seemed to fit right in with his teammates.
With the encouraging spring workouts now complete, insider Tony Grossi said the overlooked Browns defender was “everywhere” on the field and is in line for another big season.
“Carson Schwesinger, we hardly bring him up, but he’s everywhere. He’s just everywhere, wherever the ball is,” Grossi said.
It speaks to Schwesinger’s talent and consistency that he is almost already taken for granted at this point in his young career. Last season, he threatened the NFL rookie record for tackles in a season, but after a leg injury forced him to miss the finale, he finished with 156, short of the mark of 174 set by Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers in 2007. The second-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft also had 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and nine QB hits.
Schwesinger could challenge the record for most tackles in a player’s first two seasons, which is held by Luke Kuechly, who had 320 total tackles with the Carolina Panthers. He would need 165 tackles this season to break that mark, and with how much he loves the Browns’ new look defense, it would not be out of the question.
Playing alongside newcomer Quincy Williams, who was an All-Pro with the New York Jets, Grossi said Schwesinger is likely to wind up with more turnovers than the two interceptions he had last year. There are also more sacks to go around with Garrett now playing someplace else and taking his record-breaking total of 23.0 from last season with him.
It was thought the unit might drop off some when defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned, but with so much young talent, replacement Mike Rutenberg could wind up coaching an even better squad.
NEXT:
Unexpected Browns Development After The Myles Garrett Trade Says A Lot