Carson Schwesinger already made the leap from walk-on at UCLA to second-round NFL draft pick. Now, the Cleveland Browns linebacker is capping his inaugural pro season with a top honor.
Schwesinger was voted as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, with the award being revealed Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony.
He beat out a field of finalists that included New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter, Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori, Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. and Falcons safety Xavier Watts.
Schwesinger also became just the second off-ball linebacker since 2013 to win the award.
The Browns’ rookie class featured several key first-year contributors, including first-round defensive tackle Mason Graham, second-round running back Quinshon Judkins, third-round tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and fifth-round quarterback Shedeur Sanders. But Schwesinger stood above all of them in his immediate contributions.
Stepping into a starting role from Day 1 in the middle of Jim Schwartz’s defense, Schwesinger recorded a team-high 146 tackles – more than any other rookie – and 11 tackles for loss. The 6-3, 242-pound linebacker drew extensive praise for his heady play and extensive range as a tackler. His ability to hold down the second level of the defense helped Cleveland rank fourth in total yards allowed.
‘The command that Carson has now in a lot of respects took Ray (Lewis’) third year in the league,’ Schwartz said in Novebmer. ‘Middle linebacker is hard. Linebacker is a hard position to play for a young player. You have to have all of the run fits; you have to have the physicality to play there. You have to be a productive tackler. You have to know all the blitzes. You have to have all the coverage components. And a lot of times it takes guys sort of piecemeal to put all of that stuff together.
‘(Schwesinger has) been right in the middle of it, and it’s been fun to watch because not only does he do all that stuff well, but he has great command. He’s a great leader for us. He’s our play-caller.’
Schwartz’s future with the Browns is in limbo after the team hired Todd Monken over him for head coach. Schwesinger, however, looks bound to be a fixture of the defense for some time.