It comes as no surprise, but it’s still special: Former UCLA Bruin linebacker Carson Schwesinger was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday. The Cleveland Browns’ second round rookie emerged as one the top off-ball linebackers as a first-year pro.
Schwesinger immediately stepped into a starting role with the Browns, helping lead 5-12 Cleveland to the No. 4 defense in terms of yardage. Schwesinger totaled 156 tackles and had 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.
It’s hard to believe that the former UCLA walk-on has won the NFL”s DROY award but Schwesinger has continued to improve, becoming an impact player for the Browns. Cleveland took Schwesinger with the first pick in the second round, and had him outplay the Browns’ first round pick, defensive tackle Mason Graham.
Schwesinger is the first off-ball linebacker to win the award since Shaquille Leonard won the award in 2018 for the Indianapolis Colts. The Carolina Panthers’ Luke Kuechly won the award in 2012, being the second-most recent offball linebacker to win it.
Browns Wire writer Jacob Roach wrote about Schwesinger being a lone bright spot for this year’s Browns team.
“It was a hard season for the Cleveland Browns and their fans after only five wins, eight total the last two years, leading to the team firing head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was replaced by Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken,” Roach wrote. “But there was one bright spot, and that was the historic season from the Browns’ star pass rusher, Myles Garrett, who set the NFL record for sacks in a single season with 23. He was the best defensive player in the NFL and set the record despite being routinely chipped, double-teamed, and even triple-teamed.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger named 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
