The Browns could take several different directions in this upcoming NFL Draft. Cleveland has a glaring need for a quarterback, but in a weak class for the position, it may not be worth it to select a passer who isn't actually the long-term answer.
There are many other holes on the roster, including at defensive end if General Manager Andrew Berry decides to honor Myles Garrett's trade request. That's why Browns Insider Zac Jackson, in his recent mock draft for The Athletic, predicted Cleveland will select Penn State's Abdul Carter.
"So, Garrett or no Garrett, I’m projecting that the Browns will select Carter at No. 2," Jackson said. "That assumes either Travis Hunter or Cam Ward goes No. 1, and it fits what I currently believe the Browns’ blueprint will be: veteran quarterback in March, second-day quarterback in the draft. Specifically, the consensus opinion is that No. 2 is just too early for any team to select Shedeur Sanders."
Jackson called Carter a "blue-chip prospect at a premium position," and he's absolutely right. The 21-year-old stands at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds with powerful speed off the edge. Carter yielded exceptional results in 2024 even though it was his first year playing the position, notching 12 sacks and a nation-leading 24 tackles for loss. He spent his first two years with the Nittany Lions at linebacker, meaning the best could be yet to come for Carter on the defensive line.
Carter isn't the only defensive lineman in Jackson's mock draft. With one of Cleveland's two third-rounders, Jackson has the Browns selecting Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer, who draft analyst Dane Brugler said, "attacks gaps like a bull in a China shop.” The Browns are also projected to take Notre Dame EDGE R.J. Oben with one of five potential sixth-round picks. These two selections, along with Carter, could completely replenish a Browns defensive line in a post-Garrett world.
As for the quarterback position, Jackson believes the Browns will take two — Louisville's Tyler Shough in the third round and Indiana's Kurtis Rourke in the sixth.
