Carson Schwesinger NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for UCLA LB

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 242

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 31⅝”

WINGSPAN: 77½”

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VERTICAL: 39.5"

BROAD: 10'7"

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POSITIVES

— Very good athlete who can cover ground vertically and horizontally in a hurry.

— Athleticism and speed allows him to tighten windows when playing zone coverage, click and close, and help take away post routes when playing Tampa 2.

— Good change of direction and fluid hips to stay in phase or recover against running backs and tight ends in man coverage.

— Good eyes in zone coverage to locate threats coming into his area, and he can read the quarterback's eyes to step into passing lanes.

— Impressive instincts as a run defender, especially for someone with little game experience, and he has the speed to beat offensive linemen to the spot.

— Speed also gives him good sideline-to-sideline range.

— Showed flashes as a pass-rusher, using his athletic ability to get pressure when blitzing.

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NEGATIVES

— Limited on-field experience, he didn't play much until this year and didn't begin 2024 as a starter.

— Lacks the size and strength to hold his ground in the running game when taking on blocks from offensive linemen.

— Hasn't shown the ability to use his quickness and athleticism to slip blocks.

— Struggles to get extension and/or disengage from blocks, needs to develop a move to escape.

— Doesn't have much pop behind his pads, even when crashing downhill at full speed.

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NOTES

— Not ranked in the 2021 class, per 247Sports, originally a walk-on at UCLA

— No major injuries

— 2024: First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten

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OVERALL

A former walk-on turned All-American, Carson Schwesinger is one of the biggest risers in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He barely saw the field defensively and didn't even begin this past season as a starter before blossoming into one of the best and most productive linebackers in the country last fall.

Schwesinger's athleticism really stands out. He has springy legs and moves vertically and laterally well to cover a lot of ground on the field. That combined with loose hips allows him to be very effective in coverage.

He can drop and takeaway post routes in Tampa 2, tighten throwing windows when playing underneath and stay in phase against running backs and tight ends in man coverage.

The UCLA product has impressive instincts against the run, especially considering how little game experience he has. Paired with his speed and athleticism, he can beat offensive linemen to the spot to get unblocked tackles. Also, he knows when to crash downhill and attack gaps, and can match running backs' paths out of the backfield.

However, Schwesinger needs to spend some time in the weight room to get bigger and stronger as a run defender. Offensive linemen who can climb up to the second level quickly will swallow him up.

He gets pushed around far too easily and ends up on the ground too much as he needs to add lower body strength to anchor. Additionally, Schwesinger must improve his upper body strength to get extension and stack and shed or develop a move to escape blocks.

Overall, the former Bruin is a year or two away from being a complete player/full-time starter, but he has the makings of being an every-down contributor in the second half of his rookie contract. Schematically, he'd be best as a WILL linebacker right now and could become more scheme-versatile if his strength improves.

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GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 66

POSITION RANK: LB4

PRO COMPARISON: Deion Jones

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.