Much will be made about what the Cleveland Browns decide to do at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft. They have the No. 2 overall pick, but may not necessarily take a quarterback with that selection. Conventional wisdom says that it would be worthwhile to make former Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders the No. 2 pick, but the best player in the draft happens to play some linebacker.
That would be Penn State Nittany Lions edge rusher Abdul Carter, who has met with Browns brass twice now. He reportedly had dinner with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Andrew Berry, among others, on Thursday night. Adding Carter to a defense headlined by future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Myles Garrett would be quite swell in a transitional season.
That being said, Garrett seems to have an infatuation about the Browns not just getting better at quarterback, but drafting a young QB specifically. Cleveland seems to have turned the page on Deshaun Watson in favor of whatever comes next. That could be Sanders, Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart late in day one or day two, or potentially trading for Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons.
Listen to the amount of times Garrett said "young" while appearing on ESPN Cleveland previously.
The Andrew S interview with Myles got all the publicity but listen to this and you make a decision on what Myles believes is going to happen……
— Content Browns (@TheKardiac_Kid) March 25, 2025
Lots of use of the word “Young” pic.twitter.com/RSPkCZ1asU
It should be noted that Carter is the overwhelming favorite to go No. 2 to Cleveland at -270 odds.
What is the Cleveland Browns' NFL Draft plan heading into April?
My thought on all this is Cleveland is either going to take Sanders with the No. 2 overall pick to be their quarterback of the present and future or they will go with the best player available in Carter. From there, if the Browns do end up drafting Carter, it will come down to if they can draft Dart very early in the second round, or maybe even trade back into the first. If it is not Dart, then it is Cousins.
While 36 going on 37 is not exactly Young, the idea of Cousins is still an upgrade over what the Browns have had the last few years since pivoting off Baker Mayfield. For Garrett to have his dreams of playing in a Super Bowl being realized, in Cleveland of all places, either Sanders, or Dart, need to be rookie quarterback sensations right away, or someone like Cousins will have to come in and take off.
Up until this moment, I had been a strong believer that Sanders was not going to fall out of the top three. With the Tennessee Titans honing in on Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward and then the New York Giants signing Russell Wilson on the heels of Jameis Winston, that puts a ton of pressure on Cleveland to not let this draft slide happen. Do you want Sanders or do you want Carter and more?
The latter is where I am leaning. No, I do not think that Cleveland can have both Cousins and Dart on the same team because the former will not allow it. Dart could end up being a second-round pick, but he poses too much of a realistic threat to take Cousins' job for him to realistically waive his no-trade clause with Atlanta. I think as long as you take Carter at No. 2, then I am okay with either option here.
Ultimately, Garrett can have his cake and eat it too if Cleveland merely does the most logical thing and takes the best player available at No. 2, which is Carter. From there, Berry, Haslam and head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to take a good, hard look at Dart in the latter part of day one or the early part of day two and ask themselves if he is their guy of the future. If yes, then draft him. If no, get Cousins.