Keeping the defense a strong point is a must but the Browns draft class has just two defenders
The Cleveland Browns went into this year’s NFL draft with 10 draft picks. They ended up with seven picks instead.
Two seasons ago, the Browns’ defense was ranked #1. This group slipped a bit last year with key injuries to LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah (JOK), DTs Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris, backup DE Alex Wright, and CBs Tony Brown and Greg Newsome. JOK was the team’s leading tackler at the time of his injury.
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GM Andrew Berry decided to keep the defense front and center in this year’s draft. In Round 1, instead of taking WR Travis Hunter like everyone projected, he traded down three spots and nabbed Unanimous All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham from Michigan instead.
But it was Berry’s selection in Round 2 that is the most intriguing. He chose LB Carson Schwesinger, the captain of the UCLA defense. This talented defender was chosen with the first pick of the second round, meaning he was one draft pick away from being a first-round choice.
It‘s almost like the Browns have two first-round draft picks this year.
The pick of Graham was heralded as a genius in that Cleveland not only got one of the two best defensive players in this year’s draft, but in the trade, they wrangled away the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick in next year’s draft. In the third round, Berry took the nation’s leading receiver in Harold Fannin, who just happens to be a tight end instead of a receiver. And then Berry got Hawai’i native QB Dillon Gabriel of Oregon, who was head coach Kevin Stefanski’s choice of a young quarterback.
Two running backs were selected, which created quite a bit of chatter regarding this draft. But then in Round 5, Berry took Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, who was projected as a first-round talent that had fallen into Day 3. The descent, plus the fact that the Browns had chosen two QBs in the same draft, dominated discussion regarding Cleveland’s draft class.
All of these new players had their own conversation bits.
But nobody was talking about Schwesinger. And they still aren’t.
The fact is, when Berry grabbed Sanders from his free-fall, it appeared that nobody else mattered. The Browns were front-page news on every sports talk show and podcast. At one time, Sanders had a projection of Top-6 with a litany of teams that should – or could – select him in Round 1. The Tennessee Titans at pick 1, Cleveland at the second selection, New York Football Giants choosing third overall, the Las Vegas Raiders at pick #6, New Orleans Saints at 9, Indianapolis Colts at 14, or the Pittsburgh Steelers picking 21st.
Sanders was news when he fell from the first round. Then he was all the news when he was taken in Round 5.
Meanwhile, the Browns had used their first two picks in this year’s draft on defense.
Beginnings
Schwesinger was just 5’10”, weighing 170 pounds while playing wide receiver at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California. He is one of five siblings with a sister who played basketball and one brother who played college football at Cal Lutheran University.
He caught 115 passes as a receiver for 1,670 yards and 10 touchdowns during his high school career. Later, he also played some cornerback. Coming out of his senior season, he was rated a zero-star recruit, and his only college interest was from the Air Force Academy and FCS-level Bucknell.
Schwesinger’s older sister was enrolled at UCLA. While scouting another linebacker at Oaks Christian, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly noticed Schwesinger and offered him an opportunity to join the football squad as a walk-on. In his freshman year, he did not play but earned the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the fall quarter as an engineering student.
In his sophomore season, he became a backup linebacker and played a lot on special teams, with just 15 total tackles playing in all 13 games. He earned a partial scholarship and was named to the CSC 2022-23 Academic All-District Football Team. Schwesinger also earned the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the winter, spring, and fall quarters.
His junior year was pretty much a repeat. He got more defensive snaps and played in all 13 games but remained a backup and special-teams ace. Schwesinger was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023-24 Academic All-District Football Team, plus once again earned the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.
Schwesinger earned a scholarship before the 2022 season and became a part of the rotation at linebacker.
Schwesinger’s final season is where it all came together.
He played in all 12 games and averaged 11.3 tackles per game. He recorded a career-high 17 tackles in a losing effort against Washington and had nine games in which he had double-digit tackle numbers, and had a streak of six straight double-digit-tackle performances in 2024. At season’s end, he had tallied 136 total tackles, with 90 being solo tackles. He was ranked #3 nationally in total tackles and #1 in solo tackles.
In addition, he ran a 4.64 in the 40 and added four sacks, two interceptions, three batted passes, one forced fumble, and nine tackles for loss. He was named First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten, and was a finalist for the Butkus Award and the Burlsworth Trophy.
Now, he is 6’-2” and weighs in at 242 pounds. Schwesinger is a bioengineering major and became an 8-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll member while at UCLA.
Cleveland drafted three players who are ranked #1 nationally in 2024:
- Most solo tackles (90): Carson Schwesinger
- Most receiving yards (1,555): Harold Fannin
- Most receptions (117): Harold Fannin
- Highest pass completion percentage (74.0%): Shedeur Sanders
Onto the NFL
The fact that Berry took a linebacker in Round 2 is nothing new. Back in 2021, Berry traded up and selected JOK out of Notre Dame with the #52 pick. JOK was the Butkus Award winner that college football season.
The linebackers in DC Jim Schwartz’s system play differently than in most defensive schemes. Schwartz requires the defensive front four to become the game’s pass rush. While a lot of defensive coordinators will blitz repeatedly, rarely does Schwartz send a linebacker or a safety as an extra rusher.
This frees up the linebackers for run support, and cover the tight end and running backs. This means every linebacker must be a willing tackler who is consistent.
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
Schwesinger is an exceptional tackler. He is now in a group that features Jordan Hicks in the middle, JOK at weakside, and Mohamoud Diabate at strongside.
After the draft had concluded, Browns Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Football Operations Catherine Hickman mentioned regarding Schwesinger:
“What he brings from a work ethic and leadership standpoint will be invaluable.”
JOK has had his issues with keeping healthy. In his rookie season, he had an ankle injury that placed him IR. When he returned, he suffered a foot injury in Week 14. He became injured last year from a neck injury in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, a 29-24 victory. He ended up at the hospital and was released the following day. Currently, there isn’t a timeline for when he is set to return to the field. It is hopeful he will attend training camp, but even that is up in the air.
What if JOK is not ready come Week 1? What if his injury lingers despite progress? The Browns are hopeful that JOK will be able to return at some point, but his health is the priority.
Diabate played well in his place last year. So did undrafted rookie Winston Reid who signed his exclusive rights free agent tender in early April. Devin Bush, Jr. was also re-signed on a one-year deal, and Berry inked veteran Jerome Baker to a one-year contract back in March.
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Also in the LB room are Marcus Haynes and Bookie Watson.
The addition of Schwesinger brings yet another body to the group who has eclipsed the 100-tackle plateau for a single season. Hicks has five seasons with this distinction and 952 career tackles while JOK had 101 tackles in his Pro Bowl season of 2023 with 308 career tackles.
Schwesinger’s scouting report on NFL.com:
Strengths
- Rare instincts for maneuvering inside and avoiding blocks
- Body control and agility in short spaces is first class
- Plays fast and sees run-lane development like a running back
- Deciphers play-action and mesh-point shenanigans quickly
- Able to drop his weight and explode laterally as a tackler
- Has hips, feet and eyes to cover ground in zone
- Special-teams star who is resolute on kick coverage
Weaknesses
- Lead blockers tend to neutralize him in the hole
- Has issues getting rid of big bodies attacking him
- He’s quick, but chase speed appears to be average
- Lacks the size and force for ideal stopping power as a hitter
- Could have issues carrying backs out of the backfield
This year’s rookie linebacker group was considered a weak class. The Browns highlighted linebacker as a huge need, and when Round 2 rolled up, they either took Schwesinger early or they could have simply missed out completely on getting a sure tackler. Poor tackling was an issue last year.
Schwesinger is absolutely a man-handler, and the reason why Berry turned down offers for that first pick in Round 2. His X handle is @C_Schwesinger.
Why not get the Browns defense back to being a unit that beats people up and gets the other team’s offensive unit off the field? With the offenses and quarterbacks that reside in the AFC North, it is important to build up your defense into a progressive group.
Schwesinger has elite processing speed and is super intelligent. He sniffs out the run almost immediately and rarely misses a tackle. His effort and tenacity show up on every snap, and he is a three-down backer. Does well to consistently gain depth in zone drops with excellent instincts.
Who is Carson Schwesinger? The Browns’ next great linebacker in the mold of Clay Matthews.
It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.