After the Cleveland Browns defense didn’t play at the level it was expected to during the 2024-25 campaign, the front office could view the No. 2 pick as a way to improve on that side of the football.
One could argue that the Browns should trade the No. 2 pick if they don’t select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, but there are also many reasons to select a player they love in the draft.
Pro Football Network recently predicted the Browns to do just that. PFN mocked Abdul Carter to the Browns at No. 2, writing that Carter is a “spitting image of Micah Parsons,” a player Cleveland would love to add to its defense.
“The Cleveland Browns have a lot of talented and expensive players on the roster. They’re good enough to compete for a Wild Card spot in the AFC with said talent, but they need a steady hand under center. Fans will undoubtedly want Ward here, but he won’t be ready for at least a full season,
“Imagine a defense with that talented secondary and two aliens on the edge pressuring the passer with outrageous consistency. Carter is practically a spitting image of Micah Parsons but with longer arms and a more well-rounded repertoire leaving the college ranks. His ascension throughout 2024 weekly was astronomical. He got better every week until it was crystal clear he was the most devastating defensive player in college football,” PFN wrote on January 19.
Why the Browns Should Avoid Taking a QB
The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback, but if they don’t want Sanders or Ward, or the one they want gets drafted at No. 1, there isn’t much they could do.
After all the Browns have endured at the quarterback position, drafting someone just to draft a quarterback would be the worst idea the team could make.
The Browns need a plan, and while they need a quarterback, there are other ways to improve the position. Plus, unless Cleveland plans to upgrade its roster significantly this offseason, a rookie quarterback could be coming into a terrible position.
Cleveland doesn’t have the cap space to make big changes, which could lead the Browns to go with someone like Carter at No. 2.
Josh Ewards of CBS Sports believes that will be the case, mocking Carter to the Browns because of them not forcing a situation at the position.
“Cleveland is not going to force a situation at the quarterback position. Abdul Carter has been a dominant pass-rush presence this season and there should be a lot of one-on-one opportunities across from Myles Garrett,” Edwards wrote on January 19.
Why the Browns Should Draft a Quarterback
Are the Cleveland Browns a quarterback away from being Super Bowl contenders? Probably not.
However, if there’s been one constant for this franchise over the past decade, it’s been the inability to have a serviceable quarterback. Until the Browns find that answer, they likely won’t be a contending team.
Selecting a quarterback and putting him in a tough position might not be the best idea, but if the Browns believe there’s a star at No. 2, they could worry about the rest later.
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Browns Pass on Ward & Sanders, Take Next Micah Parsons in Mock