The Browns got real production out of their linebackers in 2025, and the group’s future starts with the player who arrived as a rookie and played like a veteran.
Carson Schwesinger, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, led all rookies with 146 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two-and-a-half sacks on his way to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He was the centerpiece of the unit, and he’s back for 2026 looking to build on that debut.
The player lining up next to him won’t be Devin Bush anymore. Bush is now with the Chicago Bears after signing as a free agent, leaving a big role behind after a career-best season in Cleveland that included 124 tackles and two pick-sixes among his three interceptions. In his place comes Quincy Williams, a seven-year veteran and First Team All-Pro in 2023 who saw his numbers dip over the past two seasons with the New York Jets.
That pairing is expected to drive Mike Rutenberg’s defense, which generally uses just two linebackers. And with training camp approaching, the Browns’ depth behind them is still taking shape.
The depth chart lists Reid Carrico, Justin Jefferson, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Winston Reid, Carson Schwesinger, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Nathaniel Watson and Quincy Williams.
There’s a clear best-case path for the group. Schwesinger keeps climbing and becomes a true cornerstone for Cleveland’s defense after a rookie year that also earned him recognition from his peers as one of the top 100 players in the league.
Williams, meanwhile, gets back to the level that made him an All-Pro in 2023 after a rough 2025 with the Jets. The connection with Rutenberg matters here too, since Rutenberg coached Williams with both the Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The rest of the room would need to do its part as well. Jefferson could carve out a role on special teams while proving he can handle defensive snaps when needed. Watson, Mascarenas-Arnold and Reid would need to make noise in camp and the preseason to force tough decisions when cutdown day arrives.
The downside is pretty straightforward. If Schwesinger doesn’t keep rising and Williams doesn’t bounce back, the Browns could be staring at a thin position group. Without Myles Garrett drawing attention elsewhere, Schwesinger’s rookie production could prove harder to replicate, and if Williams’ 2025 form is the real version, linebacker becomes a problem fast.
As for how this unit stacks up against 2025, the call is basically a wash. Schwesinger should be at least as good, and maybe better.
Williams has to replace Bush, who delivered a career year before leaving for Chicago, but his familiarity with Rutenberg gives him a real chance to come close to that level. Beyond Jefferson, most of the names are the same, which is why this group feels more steady than transformed.
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