​If NFL executives and coaches are to be believed, the Cleveland Browns have a bedrock player at middle linebacker in second-year LB Carson Schwesinger.Schwesinger, drafted out of UCLA in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, went on to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSchwesinger tallied 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in his first season. In the list compiled by ESPN, he was listed among the Top 10 “off the ball” players at his position, joining impressive company.ESPN surveyed execs and coaches who gave their own top 10 at they ranked the list based on the following criteria: number of top 10 votes, composite average and interviews. Seventy voters participated.Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is sacked by Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesSchwesinger came in at No. 3 among linebackers, as rated by league experts. That’s an impressive showing given his relative inexperience.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOne league executive offered this appraisal: “He’s [Luke] Kuechly reincarnated,” a personnel executive with an NFL team said. “Elite speed, athleticism, instincts, ball skills.”That’s high praise given Kuechly’s stellar career that included seven Pro Bowls, five appearances on All-Pro teams, a 2013 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2010s Team and eventual induction into the hall in next month in Canton.Said another executive: “Plays fast, excellent instincts, good in coverage,” a high-ranking AFC evaluator said. “Impressive for a rookie.”Schwesinger joins some elite company in the league. Here is the Top 10:AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCarson Schwesinger, Cleveland BrownsZack Braun, Philadelphia EaglesGeorge M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns’ Carson Schwesinger impresses NFL executives. ‘Kuechly reincarnated’