The New England Patriots made several moves at their linebacker position this offseason, including the recent release of longtime starter and team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley. How the team feels about its remaining group of ‘backers heading into 2025 and beyond is not known, but it would not be a surprise if an infusion of talent through the draft is in the team’s plans.

If so, UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger should be a definitive name to watch.

Hard facts

Name: Carson Schwesinger

Position: Off-the-ball linebacker

School: UCLA

Opening day age: N/A

Measurements: 6’2 1/2”, 242 lbs, 77 1/2” wingspan, 31 5/8” arm length, 9 1/4” hand size, 39.5” vertical jump, 20 bench press reps, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 38 games (10 starts) | 806 defensive snaps, 569 special teams snaps | 163 tackles, 15 missed tackles (8.4%), 11 TFLs, 1 forced fumble | 20 quarterback pressures (5 sacks, 3 hits, 12 hurries) | 50 targets, 36 catches surrendered (72.0%), 334 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs | 17 special teams tackles, 2 missed tackles (10.5%), 1 punt block

Accolades: First-team All-American (2024), First-team All-Big Ten (2024)

A two-way player as a linebacker and wide receiver at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, CA, Schwesinger went unranked out of high school. Joining UCLA as a walk-on, he did not see any action in his first season at the college level. By his 2022 sophomore campaign, however, he appeared in all 13 of the Bruins’ games as a reserve linebacker and core special teamer.

From then on, he was a fixture on the team and continued showing steady improvement. His breakout happened in 2024: Schwesinger was named first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten after starting the first 10 games of his career and registering 136 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble. He also blocked a punt while continuing to fill a prominent kicking game role.

Schwesinger decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the draft. He was invited to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine.

Draft profile

Expected round: 2-3 | Consensus big board: No. 55 | Patriots meeting: N/A

Strengths: Not even a silk worm can produce something as smooth as Schwesinger’s movements at the second level of a defense. He moves effortlessly from sideline to sideline, showcasing loose hips and change of direction skills combined with natural instincts and a knack for locating and attacking the football. His range both horizontally and vertically allows him to be a factor both when shooting downhill against the run or as a pass rusher, and when dropping out into man and zone coverage.

Schwesinger is a high-effort player on defense and special teams; while not the most physically imposing presence on the field, he can be a tone-setter in either phase due to his batteries seemingly never running dry. In addition, his build is adequate and fitting of the requirements to play off-ball linebacker in today’s NFL. Adding to that is Schwesinger’s ability as a technically-sound wrap-up tackler and quick processor.

Weaknesses: Schwesinger spent four years at UCLA, but he had limited defensive production ahead of his 2024 breakout campaign. His lack of experience shines through from time to time, be it against play-action or misdirection concepts, not seeing the entirety of the field at times, or being out of his gaps versus the run. To make up for it, he oftentimes seems to be too aggressive in his decisions.

Schwesinger is a good overall athlete, but he also lacks the bulk and physicality to consistently hold up in the ground game. His size could become an issue against NFL-level blockers, and might limit how teams project his role.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Schwesinger is your prototypical modern-day linebacker, and as such could become a three-down player even while undersized by traditional standards. In addition, he should be heavily involved in the kicking game from early on in his career.

What is his growth potential? Despite a breakout season in 2024, there is plenty of room for improvement in Schwesinger’s game. Most of it has to do with a lack of experience combined with an apparent overeagerness to make plays. Once he can become more settled down in his role as a possible volume player, and get used to competing against NFL-level players, he has some serious Pro Bowl-level potential.

Does he have positional versatility? A vast majority of Schwesinger’s 806 career snaps saw him align as a classic off-ball Mike linebacker, and there is no indication his NFL outlook will be any different. That said, he was used as an all-round ‘backer who attacked downhill against the run and as a pass rusher and also dropped back into coverage. He also offers some versatility in the kicking game — he was a five-unit performer throughout his career at UCLA — but a prominent defensive role might impact his exposure in the game’s third phase.

Why the Patriots? The Patriots have started rebuilding their defensive front seven under new head coach Mike Vrabel, trying to become faster to the ball. Schwesinger’s profile fits what the team is now looking for, and adding him to the equation as a longer-term option would make plenty of sense.

Why not the Patriots? With Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss and Jack Gibbens all on the team in 2025, and Spillane and Elliss on multi-year deals, New England might decide not to add another similar player type to the mix. In addition, the team simply might be turned off by his low defensive snap total in college.

One-sentence verdict: In the unlikely case that Schwesinger is still on the board in the early third round, the Patriots certainly are a team to keep a close eye on.

What do you think about Carson Schwesinger as a potential Patriots target? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.