If/once the Titans start the draft with Cam Ward, as they are widely expected to, the Browns will have this year’s top two overall prospects from which to choose. Cleveland-Travis Hunter links have been strong for a bit now, but it does not appear the team is locked into the two-way phenom.
The Browns are still believed to be seriously considering Abdul Carter, whom Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes is “neck and neck” with Hunter to go second overall. Carter had been closely linked to the Browns in late March, but Hunter buzz had seemingly overtaken that path for the Penn State edge rusher. Barely a week away from the draft, it appears the Giants may still have hope Hunter falls to No. 3, as one Pauline source was “adamant” the Browns are leaning Carter.
The top prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Carter is not expected to fall past the Giants if the Browns pass. Although the Giants have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the team made similar value plays — drafting Mathias Kiwanuka (2006) and Jason Pierre-Paul (2010) despite deep edge arsenals — during John Mara‘s ownership tenure. Carter would qualify as a higher-profile move, as neither Kiwanuka nor JPP were top-10 picks. But the Giants would seemingly prefer Hunter, who plays position(s) where the team is weaker.
Conversely, the Browns remain in need of a Myles Garrett complementary piece. The team just gave Garrett a defender-record $40MM-per-year extension to squash his trade push; having Carter at a rookie-scale rate would certainly help. Then again, Hunter’s unique skillset could be too much to overlook at No. 2. Carter’s medical sheet will play a key role here, but the Browns have certainly done their homework on the former Nittany Lion dynamo.
A foot stress reaction both kept Carter from participating in the Combine, though Hunter is healthy and joined other top prospects in passing, and Penn State’s pro day. Carter, however, is believed to be improving; surgery is not expected to be necessary, representing an important detail ahead of the draft. Medicals here are still paramount for a Carter investment, as Pauline adds clearance may be what pushes such a move past the goal line.
Browns brass dined with Carter before his pro day; this came after he visited the Cleveland facility in March. With buzz increasingly pointing both Cleveland and New York passing on filling their QB needs in the top three, the draft will likely feature Carter and Hunter following Ward off the board next week. Both players have been viewed as this draft’s top two prospects since the season ended. Considering Hunter’s unusual versatility, it would be quite interesting if the Browns passed.
The Browns viewing Carter as a pass rusher too good to pass up would remind a bit of the Texans leading off the 2014 draft by taking Jadeveon Clowney to team with a soon-to-be expensive J.J. Watt. With Clowney and Za’Darius Smith out as Garrett sidekicks, the Browns adding Carter as a higher-end successor would be one of the more important draft decisions in franchise history.
Browns should get Hunter as they need help on both sides.
Terrible terrible take
Funny this occured after Hunter saying he was about to quit football lol
well played!
Actually nothing occurred. The Browns never released a statement. This is just one writers opinion
Carter is the better player and pick for the lowly browns.
Hard not to at least contemplate a pairing of Garrett and Carter. Maybe they can’t fix their own offense quickly, but they can terrify everyone else’s.
Especially considering that in the short term outlook none of the Browns’ AFC North opponents have particularly great offensive lines this would probably be their best path to contending for a playoff spot.
Did you watch the interview when they asked Myles, after he re-signed, if he had any insight on the Browns pick at #2? He grinned and nodded his head.
That right there made me think it’s gonna be Carter, which would make Garrett’s life a little easier, freeing him from all the double and triple teams he regularly has to deal with.
Teams are still gonna double Garrett over a rookie that has done nothing. Browns had Smith and Clowney (both still contributors) and Garrett got double teamed.
I agree, but the difference is that a mismatch against Carter would seem to be much more advantageous for the Browns than a mismatch against Smith or Clowney was.
Clowney’s first year in Cleveland was decent but his second year was pretty bad from a pass rush standpoint, and Smith was a decent sidekick but not anyone you’d worry about leaving one on one. As a Browns fan, the idea of a potentially elite pass rush on both ends of the line is even more intriguing than the chance to take Hunter (although they’re both cool options).
But we’re not really sure if Carter will be the next Micah Parsons or Courtney Brown. I just think with Flacco slinging passes around, a speedy receiver will make a more immediate impact plus I think Wright will be much improved
In the ‘not a chance in hades this will happen’ draft trade scenario, what if Dallas traded Micah P to the NYG and then drafted T Hunter? Lots of talk Jerry loves the guy. Browns are too tight on the cap and can’t (well shouldn’t) over- spend on 2 DE’s.
How would a rookie be an overspend?
If Dallas traded him to the Browns for the over-spend w/ Micah and Myles.
Giving up a top five pick for Parsons feels like a mistake waiting to happen
Interesting. What would you value him at top 10?
arty, not sure if the Giants could justify spending that much on a Parson extension when they already have Burns on a massive deal. imo, as great as Parsons is, I’d rather (if they’re focused on defense) they just draft Carter. Maybe he’s great, too, maybe not. But it would definitely give them more financial flexibility now and in the next couple of years.
Interesting thought, but not one I’d pursue if I’m the Giants. All due respect to Parsons’s greatness.
Hunter makes way more sense for CLE with extending Garrett, granted they’d be great together but I think a potential Denzel Ward/Hunter and Jeudy/Hunter lineups are too enticing to pass up
I agree. I don’t see Jerry being able to move up to either the 2nd or 3rd round pick. And he certainly wouldn’t trade w/ a division rival. It was a hypothetical trade.
Nonsense is a good word for your comment
Find it funny that Hunter was talking about how it’s hard playing two way in football then what Ohtani does in baseball and yet if Ohtani was in mlb draft he would go 1st 10 out 10 times.
Even the Browns couldn’t screw this up. You have one of the best prospects in a generation at a foundational position in Carter. You build with the DE position, you don’t build with “two way phenom position.
Braxton Jones is not a “solid” LT. Has never been able to handle a bull rush. He’s decent at best and because of a major leg injury at the end of last season, he’s questionable to even be available. The Bears have said nothing- which is a bad sign. While I guess it’s possible they could use one of their second round picks on a guy a level lower, but if Membou or Campbell are still there at 10, I think that’s where they have to go.
I actually, for my part, like this better than a Hunter addition. The Browns have a generational level strength on one side of the line. If Carter pans out as expected, that pressure could help make multiple levels of the defense look better by default. I’d rather see Cleveland add a possession type big body to pair with Jeudy on offense, personally, and Hunter as a CB I don’t think strengthens them as much as a mean pass rush would, because that edge pressure can help on both passing and rushing downs, and affects the QB or backfield on every play.
I’m not saying that CB is, by default, less valuable than DE, but for the Browns, having Garrett on one side already gives them a great push by forcing a lot of plays to the other side for an offense. Having Carter (again, if he pans out) on the other side could really limit the opposing offense’s ability to plan for Garrett. Hunter certainly wouldn’t be a bad pick for any team, but I actually like the Carter addition a lot for Cleveland.
As a Browns fan, I agree. And you’d likely get Myles in more favorable situations as well; he’ll still get double and triple teamed, but you’d also have to gameplan for Carter on the other side so you couldn’t just sell out to block Garrett.