Browns make defense priority with Carson Schwesinger draft pick as they wait on QB

Billy Heyen

Browns make defense priority with Carson Schwesinger draft pick as they wait on QB image

The Cleveland Browns considered trading out of the No. 33 overall pick, the first choice of the 2025 NFL Draft second round.

But they stayed put, because they liked who was available to them.

The Browns picked UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a first-team All-American.

Schwesinger racked up 136 tackles in 2024 for the Bruins after originally starting his college career as a walk-on.

He had nine tackles for loss, including 4.0 sacks.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the No. 32 player in the draft.

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Cleveland is prioritizing the interior of its defense.

The Browns chose Mason Graham, the defensive tackle from Michigan, at No. 5 overall on Thursday night after trading down from No. 2.

Schwesinger joins Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah in the middle of Cleveland's defense.

That's two sideline-to-sideline defensive stars.

Schwesinger also brings great hair to Cleveland.

"It's a heck of a pick," ESPN's Louis Riddick said on the broadcast.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle