Carson Schwesinger’s first year in the NFL was strong enough to land him on a pretty exclusive list.
The former UCLA linebacker checked in at No. 93 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2026, a notable nod for a player who did it all in his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns.
Schwesinger arrived in the league as the first pick of the second round in the 2025 NFL Draft, going No. 33 overall after a breakout year at UCLA in 2024. He wasted no time making his presence felt in Cleveland.
In 16 games, Schwesinger piled up 156 total tackles to lead the Browns, a mark that also ranked sixth among all defensive players in the NFL. He added 11 tackles for loss, which paced Cleveland and tied for 27th in the league, along with 2.5 sacks. He also finished third on the team with two interceptions.
That production earned him AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, making him the first Browns defender to win the award since 1982. It also came during a season in which Cleveland finished fourth in the NFL in total defense, allowing 283.6 yards per game.
Schwesinger’s role could grow even more now that veteran Myles Garrett has been traded from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams.
Before reaching the NFL, Schwesinger put together a huge final season at UCLA. He led the nation and the Big Ten with 90 solo tackles and 7.5 solo tackles per game, while also topping the Big Ten with 136 total tackles and 11.3 total tackles per game. Those numbers helped him earn All-Big Ten First Team and AP First Team All-American honors.
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