Carson Schwesinger’s preseason debut:
🔸 91.4 PFF grade
🔸 6 tackles
🔸 4 run stops
🔸 1 QB hit (called back)
In just 13 snaps… ABSOLUTE BALLER! pic.twitter.com/Fl9FQF6y5i
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) August 9, 2025
It’s nothing new for the 33rd overall pick, the first pick of the second round of the NFL draft, to make an immediate impact at the NFL level. And that looks to be the case for Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The rookie linebacker, coming out of a standout season at UCLA, racked up 90 solo tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, and two interceptions in 2025. He then went to the NFL Scouting Combine and blew the roof off of Lucas Oil Stadium with some explosive jumps and agility drills. This led to him becoming the very first pick of the second day of the 2025 NFL draft.
However, the Browns have had to put more on his plate right away than initially thought. Not only is Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out for the season (and perhaps beyond), but veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks also surprised the team with his retirement after 10 years in the NFL. Schwesinger is now penned into the starting MIKE linebacker role from Day 1 as a result.
And in his NFL preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, he did not disappoint. Schwesinger played only 13 total snaps with the starters to open the game, but he was flying all around the field and made his presence felt. In his limited sample size, Schwesinger still racked up the highest PFF grade of any Browns defender, totaling six tackles, four run stops, and one hit on the quarterback on just two defensive drives.
This is just the beginning. However, in a season where the Browns will put a lot on the plates of their rookies, landing a star in the middle of their defense will give them a foundational piece moving forward. If Schwesinger keeps up the pace, then he will not only solidify himself as one of the top young linebackers in the NFL, but as a budding star as well.