Browns LB Carson Schwesinger named 2025 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of Year

Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger has been named the 2025 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors event in San Francisco. Schwesinger received 40 out of 50 first-place votes, marking a significant achievement in his first NFL season. He joins teammate Myles Garrett, who was named the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, making them the first teammates to win both rookie and DPOY honors since Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis in 2003.

Drafted as the 33rd overall pick in 2025, Schwesinger transitioned from a walk-on at UCLA to a first-team All-Big Ten player at Michigan, boosting his draft stock. The Browns selected him to fill the gap left by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's neck injury. Schwesinger's rookie season included 156 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions, ranking him 21st among NFL linebackers according to