Carson Schwesinger at No. 85 on 's top 100 is not a participation trophy. It is a statement, and a pretty loud one at that. In just his second year, the Cleveland Browns linebacker has gone from promising rookie to one of the more credible young names on a defense that already had real teeth.
Last season, the Browns finished fourth in total defense and allowed just 283.6 yards per game. That matters, because this was not a unit surviving on reputation alone. It was functioning at a high level, and Schwesinger was a huge part of that after piling up 156 combined tackles and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
A ranking that fits the production
No. 85 on 's list is the sort of number that should make Cleveland sit up, but not because it is shocking. It is because it feels justified. Schwesinger earned attention the hard way: through volume, consistency and the kind of work that defensive coaches love and opponents hate. He was not merely active. He was everywhere.
And there is more here than just a strong first impression. This offseason, Schwesinger connected with his childhood idol, Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly, in hopes of taking his game to another level. That is the right move for a player who has already established a baseline that most second-year defenders would gladly take as a career peak. If he is chasing another gear, the league should take notice.
What Cleveland is asking for next
The Browns are also asking the right question: what does year two look like when year one already ended with national recognition? The answer is simple enough. They expect Schwesinger to improve on his 2025 level in 2026, and that expectation is entirely fair given the standard he has set.
There is also a wider defensive reset around him, with a coaching change from Jim Schwartz to Mike Rutenberg giving the unit a new voice. Add in the broader context of Myles Garrett's departure to the Los Angeles Rams, and Schwesinger's rise suddenly looks even more important. Cleveland cannot afford for this to be a one-player story, but it also cannot ignore that one of its youngest defenders has already become central to the conversation.
The bottom line is that No. 85 feels less like a ceiling than a checkpoint. Schwesinger has already shown he belongs in the top ten conversation for impact on this Browns defense, and if 2026 goes the way Cleveland hopes, this will not be the last time he appears on a list like this.
