The college pro days and showcases are over, and now NFL teams are waiting for the top players to head to Indianapolis for the last round of medicals. The Browns will be very interested is what is determined about defensive end Abdul Carter injuries. With the draft less than three weeks away, speculation on Cleveland’s pick has run the gambit. First it was the Browns have to take a quarterback no matter what, no matter who. Then, they had to trade up to select quarterback Cam Ward, which isn’t an option which will be explained later. Because the assumption was Ward would be drafted by the Titans, the pick had to be quarterback Shedeur Sanders. As Sanders dropped in the eyes of the draft experts, the next choice was to trade down. This week the popular choice was to draft Colorado wide receiver/ cornerback Travis Hunter. Battlelines have been drawn on social media and the fans are using selective statistics to justify their favorite selection. Remember, someone once said 99% of statistics tell 49% of the story. The consensus is the Browns has settled on four players for the number two pick.

1. Cam Ward, QB, Miami. Ward is the best quarterback in this draft. The problem is, he’s the best quarterback in a bad quarterback draft. Considered a day three pick when he played at Washington State, he burst on the scene in 2024 at Miami. He was 10-3 as a starter, completing 305 passes of 454 attempts (67.2%), for 4313 yards, 39 touchdowns, seven interceptions with a QBR of 172.2. He has a strong passing arm and can make the big throws down the field. His footwork needs work, and he tends to throw off his back foot. He did have seventeen fumbles, which is concerning. The general belief is the Tennessee Titans will select Ward first overall. Their asking price to trade up is an unrealistic multiple first round picks. There has never been a trade up from second to first in the history of the draft.
2. Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State. Carter is the best athlete in the draft. After two years of playing outside linebacker, he switched to defensive end. His sack numbers jumped from 6.5 in 2022, 4.5 in 2023 to 12 in 2024. That same year he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All American. During the NCAA playoff game against Boise State, he injured his shoulder but played through the injury the next game against Notre Dame. He was the best player on the field. After the season it was discovered, he had a stress reaction in his right foot. Carter did not miss a game due to injury while playing at Penn State.
3. Travis Hunter WE/CB, Colorado. Travis Hunter is an intriguing prospect because of his ability to play on both side of the ball. Unfortunately, it’s unrealistic to think he can do the same in the NFL. If he would commit to playing wide receiver, he would be a top ten prospect. In 2024, he had 92 receptions for 1152 yards and 14 touchdowns. His post season awards include the Heisman Trophy Award, the Chuck Bednarik award (top defensive player) and the Fred Biletnikoff award (best wide receiver). The first player in history to win both. He did miss fourteen games in his college career.
4. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado. Sanders was one of the most accurate passers in the NCAA in 2024. He completed 353 passes on 477 attempts (74%), for 4134 yards, 37 touchdowns, ten interceptions and a QBR of 168.2. Prior to transferring to Colorado, he helped to revive the Jackson State program, a perennial struggling program, to a 11-2 record in 2021 and a 12-1 record in 2022. Sanders has a soft touch on his passes but does not possess a strong arm. When he tries to put zip on his passes, they end up coming out his hand very wobbly. His strong point, because he’s the son of an NFL Hall Of Famer, he can handle high pressure situations.
5. Trade Down. In my opinion, this would only work if the Browns only traded down with the Giants, the team picking third. Cleveland could pick up an additional third this year and a conditional pick in 2026. If the Giants wanted Hunter, the Browns could draft Carter, who I think they want if Ward is not available. It’s a win-win for both teams.