Through three games in his NFL career, former UCLA Bruin Carson Schwesinger is soaring. He seems to be every bit of the player the Cleveland Browns hoped he’d be when he was taken with the first pick of the second round in the NFL draft this spring.
Schwesinger has a unique story for an NFL player, he wasn’t a ranked recruit coming out of high school. He walked on at UCLA in 2021 and grinded his way up the depth chart, becoming an impact player for the Bruins in 2024. Schwesinger picked up his first NFL sack on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, with the UCLA product looking like he’s going to be a quality off-ball linebacker for a long time in the NFL.
Currently, Schwesinger is tied for the fifth best odds to be named as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, but maybe they’re sleeping on Schwesinger. The Browns have an elite defense and Schwesinger has established himself as an integral part of that unit. Schwesinger leads Cleveland with 23 tackles, having one sack and has made two tackles for losses.
The favorite for the award is the New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter, but that’s based more off his draft selection than his production, with Schwesinger having more tackles and 0.5 more sacks than Carter while playing on a (marginally) better team. Behind Carter is Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who Schwesinger is out-performing in every category besides forced fumbles. Campbell has the benefit of playing on the Eagles, which will have more eyes on them than the lowly Browns.
San Francisco 49ers rookie Mykel Williams has the third best odds, which is another example of the odds being based largely on draft position. Perhaps Williams steps up in Nick Bosa’s absence, but Schwesinger has out-performed him through three weeks.
Just ahead of Schwesinger is Atlanta Falcons rookie Jalon Walker, while Walker also has one sack on the season, he hasn’t quite as much impact as Schwesinger. Cincinnati Bengals rookie Shemar Stewart is tied with Schwesinger with +1300 odds for the award. Stewart has yet to make a difference for the Bengals yet this season but he did get off to a slow start in training camp due to extended contract negotiations.
Schwesinger is ahead of teammate Mason Graham, whom the Browns drafted fifth overall. Now might be a good time to place a bet for the former Bruin, with a $100 bet turning into a $1,400 payout if Schwesinger can bring home the award.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Now is the time to believe Carson Schwesinger will win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
