Abdul Carter — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Trading for Kenny Pickett means the Browns could focus on taking the best player available at No. 2 before picking up another quarterback later in the draft. The extension of Myles Garrett does not mean Cleveland will pass on Carter, whose elite talent on the edge would only make the perennial All-Pro better.

I don't know how good the Browns will be next season -- probably not very -- but combining Abdul Carter with Myles Garrett would guarantee the losses won't be on the defense. If Ward goes first, it wouldn't shock me to see Cleveland move down, either. It'll receive plenty of calls for Carter or possibly Shedeur Sanders.

The Jets would be flying to the podium if this scenario were to unfold. Carter is the No. 2 overall player on my big board and has real game-wrecking potential as a pass rusher. He would inject some real juice into a front and unit that tapered off in 2024.

The Browns still have many good players on their roster, but they lack any standout area of real strength. This pick changes that as pairing Carter with the newly extended Myles Garrett creates one of the league's scariest pass-rush groups. With no quarterback worthy of being taken with the No. 2 pick and no real trade offer materializing here, the Browns decide to wait until the second round — or maybe later in the first via trade — to add a young passer. Instead, they choose to add a young standout to an aging roster and believe that the pass rush can become a game-changing force, now and for years to come. — Zac Jackson

The Browns could be weighing taking Carter second and a quarterback in Round 2 versus picking Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 and waiting on an edge rusher until the second round. I think you can make a strong argument that taking Carter and waiting for a second-tier QB in Round 2 is the better option.

It might seem redundant to select an edge rusher here, given that the Browns just rewarded Myles Garrett with the largest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history (until Ja'Marr Chase eclipsed Garrett's deal this past weekend). But other than finding an upgrade over the oft-injured and overpaid Deshaun Watson at quarterback, pairing Garrett with this year's splashiest rusher might be the fastest way for Cleveland to return to the playoff chase.

The Browns have visions of a return to the elite-level defense they fielded a few years ago with Carter and Myles Garrett together on the same defensive line.

You might be thinking there's no way Carter falls this far. Well, the Patriots would love this. They'd run to the podium. This would be a great scenario for them. Mike Vrabel's squad has been active in free agency, particularly on defense. Adding Carter would help further build that unit up. I know they've got issues along the offensive line, but there's just no way I'd take an offensive lineman with Carter still on the board. He's just too good. I loved covering Carter last season as he played everywhere for Tom Allen's defense, being an effective off-ball player and edge rusher.

This is close. Really close. Travis Hunter would be outstanding here, regardless of whether the Browns use him on offense or defense. But I ultimately settled on Carter because he gives Jim Schwartz the second top-tier edge rusher that he has coveted since becoming Cleveland's defensive coordinator in 2023. The Browns would suddenly have two great wide-9 pass rushers in Carter and Myles Garrett, who was extended earlier this month after initially requesting a trade. Carter uses his outstanding instincts and burst to get into the backfield and make plays. He had 12 sacks, 61 pressures and 23.5 tackles for loss last season.

Drafting a quarterback wouldn't be out of the question, either. But Cleveland did trade for Kenny Pickett, and it is still in the mix for Russell Wilson. Going with one of the two elite prospects in this class just makes more sense right now.

I believe the Browns would draft Cam Ward if he were available at pick two. If not, the combination of Myles Garrett and Abdul Carter for the next five years is far too enticing to take anyone else at this spot.

Cleveland may well covet a rookie quarterback contract to get out of the hole it has put itself in with the Deshaun Watson contract. However, there may also be some pressure for this team to win now. And Carter undoubtedly helps them do that more than their options at No. 2 overall at quarterback.