Dawgs By Nature
Now that three-quarters of the NFL season have evaporated, ESPN is gearing up for its postseason awards by giving fans a sneak peek at which players top all of their lists. Unsurprisingly, given the team’s 2025 NFL draft class, the Cleveland Browns will be prominently displayed in any list that is about rookies this season.
DT Mason Graham has come on strong, LB Carson Schwesinger seems like a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year (after receiving Rookie of the Month for November), RB Quinshon Judkins has been the main cog of the offense, while TE Harold Fannin Jr. has taken over as the team’s top tight end.
RB Dylan Sampson has shown flashes, while Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel still have time to make an impact.
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It just so happens that both players were taken by the Browns in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL draft: LB Carson Schwesinger and RB Quinshon Judkins. The duo has been key components of their side of the ball, and each gathered scrutiny when they were selected.
Here is ESPN’s Top-10 rookie list:
Their narrative from writer Jeff Legwold:
Schwesinger is a former walk-on at UCLA who is now the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has the processing speed of a former bioengineering major in the middle of coordinator Jim Schwartz’s defense. And his physicality has helped Schwesinger rank in the NFL’s top 11 for total tackles. Among those players, Schwesinger has the most tackles for loss (10) and the most QB hits (six).
So far this season, with five games remaining, Schwesinger has 12 starts, 106 total tackles (ranked #9), 10 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, 2 batted passes, two interceptions, 6 pressures, 3 knockdowns, 1 hurry, and 8 missed tackles. If you assume the missed tackles are big numbers, seven players in the Top-20 tacklers have double-digit numbers.
The write-up from writer Kalyn Kahler:
Despite missing Cleveland’s Week 1 contest, Judkins made an appearance on our initial rookie rankings three weeks later. He has returned to the list after stepping into the lead back role that was vacated by Nick Chubb (now with the Texans). Judkins has had 20 or more touches in five games and is the only reliable component on the league’s fourth-worst scoring offense (16.2 points per game).
The running back has been a blessing for this offense this season. His stats include 11 starts, 758 yards on 196 carries, 46 first down conversions, seven touchdowns, 3.9 yards per carry average, 17 receptions for 88 yards and four first down conversions, plus zero fumbles.
In the past NFL draft held in April, Browns GM Andrew Berry had the first pick in Round 2, commonly called “first-round talent at second-round money.” After the first round came and went on opening night, Berry fielded lots of calls from clubs that...
