Cleveland Browns believed to have zeroed in on this prospect with No. 2 pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Thanks to a disastrous season that saw four different quarterbacks start a game, the Cleveland Browns have secured the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. As tumultuous as their season was last year, dealing with multiple starters, the Browns still haven’t identified a clear-cut starting QB after Deshaun Watson underwent Achilles surgery in January.

They have traded for Kenny Pickett, which places the former first-round pick in the starting seat by default. However, some wonder if the Browns will take advantage of their draft position and target a franchise QB with the second pick instead.

Yet, while the Browns may very well add a quarterback with the first of their 10 draft selections, that’s not what the latest report from a trusted NFL insider is suggesting.

Adam Schefter believes the Cleveland Browns are drafting Abdul Carter

Aside from whoever the Tennessee Titans select with the first overall pick, the Cleveland Browns will nearly have their pick of the litter, with the chance to select almost any prospect in the draft class. While most reports suggest the Titans are planning to select University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the Browns can take the next best prospect on their draft board.

Will that be a quarterback? It may not, as some scouts reportedly have a second-round grade on Shedeur Sanders, which means the Browns probably don’t want to reach for a QB.

Instead, one of the highest-rated prospects in the draft class is Penn State University edge rusher Abdul Carter, who’s viewed as a likely top-five pick. That’s a stark contrast from Sanders, whose draft range is all over the place.

Recently, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported his belief that the Browns are “leaning toward” selecting Carter.

“Abdul Carter right now as the likely pick at No. 2 today. The way this is shaking out to me, it looks like he’s tracking to be a [Cleveland] Brown.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Cleveland Browns

Carter would form a menacing pass-rush duo with former NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner Myles Garrett, helping build one of the most feared tandems in the league. Plus, Garrett would be able to help teach Carter the finer aspects of becoming an NFL superstar.