The spotlight for the Week 12 matchup between the host Las Vegas Raiders and visiting Cleveland Browns is on quarterback Shedeur Sanders. And for good reason.
The rookie signal caller had plenty of buzz heading into the 2025 NFL Draft and the Silver & Black were one of the assumed potential suitors for the Colorado product. Instead, Sanders — the son of current Colorado head coach and takeaway artist NFL cornerback Deion Sanders — had quite the draft freefall before the Browns plucked him with the 144th
pick in the fifth round.
With fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel (94th overall pick in the third round) out due to concussion symptoms, it’s Sanders who gets the starting nod and a full week’s prep of first-team snaps for the upcoming AFC clash in Allegiant Stadium this Sunday.
But Sanders is but one of many Cleveland rookies Las Vegas must account for. Outside of the late-round quarterback (Sanders), the seven prospects the Browns drafted this past April have all played between eight to 10 games. In comparison, of the 11 prospects the Raiders selected, four have played in all 10 games so far: Ashton Jeanty (sixth overall pick), wide receiver Jack Bech (58th overall), cornerback Darien Porter (68th overall), and linebacker Cody Lindenberg (222nd overall). Offensive lineman Caleb Rogers (98th overall) and quarterback Cam Miller (215th overall, practice squad) have not played in a game yet.
Of the rookies to play in Allegiant Stadium this Sunday, it’s Cleveland’s second-round pick that’s turning heads with a fine rookie campaign.
Sensational Schwesinger
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger was a prospect I habitually had the Raiders taking in my various mock drafts leading up to draft day. The UCLA product was a special teams maniac before a full season as a linebacker for the Bruins and Cleveland took him with the 33rd overall pick.
Using his size (6-foot-3, 242 pounds) speed, agility, and football intelligence, Schwesinger is putting on a show in Year 1 as he leads the Browns in total tackles with 85 (38 solo). The 22-year-old also eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions as he’s flying all over the field as a rookie.
Rarely coming off the field — 569 snaps on defense, good for 96 percent of Cleveland’s total — Schwesinger is prone to rookie mistakes. Pro Football Reference charts the young linebacker with 17 completions on 23 targets (73.9 percent) for 211 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also charted with six missed tackles, but overall, it’s an impressive initial season in the NFL.
Also Keep An Eye On
The Browns’ first-round pick — Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham — isn’t lighting up his statistics Year 1 like Schwesinger with 22 total tackles, four stops for loss, half a sack, and a trio of pass deflections as the fifth-overall pick. But playing against the Raiders’ offensive line, the 6-foot-4 and 315-pound interior lineman could see a breakout performance.
The Raiders defense must be in tip top shape to contend with Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, taken just three picks behind Schwesinger in the second round. Las Vegas offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is quite familiar with Judkins as he dialed up plays to feature the tailback at Ohio State and Patrick Graham’s defense must contend with size, vision, and power the halfback brings to the table. Judkins has 620 yards and five touchdowns on 157 carries this season with a long run of 46 yards on the year.
Cleveland’s third-round pick, tight end Harold Fannin (67th overall), is currently leading the team with 44 receptions and 442 yards receiving. The Bowling Green product has solid size at 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds and he uses it well. Fannin has two touchdown catches on the year and is second on the team in first-down receptions with 19 (wide receiver Jerry Jeudy leads in this department with 21 of his 31 catches being chain movers). How Las Vegas matches up with Fannin — be it a linebacker or safety — is going to be key and Fannin isn’t a slouch as a blocker, either.
Gabriel, who is set to miss this Sunday’s game, has thrown 184 times, completed 109 passes for 937 yards to seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Browns took Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson with the 126th overall pick in the fourth round. The speedy 5-foot-8 and 200-pound tailback was equal parts runner-receiver in college and he’s been deployed more as a pass catcher in Year 1 with 21 receptions for 136 yards and a score. But his playing time has waned as the 2025 campaign continues.
Quote of Note:
“I mean, he’s Deion Sanders’s son, so he’s fine with that. He’s had to deal with that his entire life. So, when you’re dealing with scrutiny, I mean, if you listen to it, that’s on you if it matters to you. Personally, it doesn’t matter to me, so I really don’t care about it, but I’m focused on doing my job and executing and being the best player that I can be every single day. But as far as Shedeur goes, he’s living his life, and he can only speak for that, but my advice is always to him is to go out there and be yourself and play your game.”
—Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith when asked about Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders
