From anonymous walk-on to the NFL’s top defensive rookie, Carson Schwesinger’s rise has reached its highest point.
The Cleveland Browns linebacker was named the 2025 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday night at NFL Honors in San Francisco, capping a remarkable debut season that exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Schwesinger earned 40 of 50 first-place votes, easily separating himself from a strong rookie class. Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori finished second with seven first-place votes, while Falcons defenders James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts received the remaining votes.
Schwesinger became the second Browns defender honored on the night, joining Myles Garrett, who was named Defensive Player of the Year. Together, they formed the first teammate duo to win DPOY and Defensive Rookie of the Year in the same season since Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis accomplished the feat with Baltimore in 2003.
Selected 33rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Schwesinger’s journey to this moment was anything but conventional. A former walk-on at UCLA, he worked his way into prominence with a first-team All-Big Ten season in 2024 before Cleveland took a chance on him early in the second round. The pick raised eyebrows at the time, but the Browns’ need at linebacker — compounded by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s serious neck injury — quickly turned the gamble into a resounding success.
Schwesinger made an immediate impact, showcasing athleticism, instincts and relentless effort. He finished his rookie season with 156 tackles, sixth-most in the NFL, along with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes defensed and two interceptions. His performance earned him a Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 21st among all linebackers, rookie or veteran.
Durability and toughness also defined his season. Schwesinger played 97% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps, pushing through a quadriceps injury late in the year before landing on injured reserve for Week 18. His presence was central to a Browns defense that finished fourth in the league.
Before long, Browns fans began drawing comparisons to a franchise icon — Clay Matthews Jr. — another Southern California product who became synonymous with linebacker excellence in Cleveland. It’s lofty company, but Schwesinger’s rookie campaign made the comparison feel earned.
With one of the league’s most prestigious individual honors now in hand, Schwesinger’s story is no longer about the improbable climb. It’s about what comes next for a player who already looks like a cornerstone of Cleveland’s defense.
