Could Browns pass on Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter during draft?

As recently as Tuesday, Cleveland Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that the club will take either Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders or Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter over Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter with the second overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. 

According to Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand, Cleveland is still "far from turning in the card on" either Buffaloes star as April 24 approaches. 

"The Browns will weigh different combinations to measure which ones provide the most value," Grossi explained. "...Does it make more sense to just take a player at No. 2 (right now, Hunter) or trade down and take perhaps a slightly lower-graded player (say, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham) plus extra draft picks?"

For example, NFL Media's Rhett Lewis predicted in his mock draft that the Las Vegas Raiders will trade with the Browns to move up from pick No. 6 to the No. 2 spot so Vegas can grab Hunter. Such a scenario would allow the Browns to take the best player available on their board with the sixth selection and then possibly use the asset(s) acquired from the Raiders to trade back into the first round for a different quarterback. 

Specifically, Cleveland is among the teams that have been linked with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Louisville's Tyler Shough. In his latest mock draft updated on Tuesday, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had Miami's Cam Ward, Sanders and Dart off the board after selection No. 26. 

Cleveland currently possesses overall choice No. 33. 

"Nobody has a good handle on where the top quarterbacks will be taken other than Ward at No. 1," Grossi added. "In recent days, Sanders reportedly is sliding – perhaps out of the top 10 and beyond – and Dart, Milroe and even Shough are rising. ...While it once appeared the Browns could afford to wait until their second pick, No. 33 overall, to take their quarterback of choice, it’s possible that won’t be the case on April 24. They might have to move up from No. 33 into the back of the first round for their guy. Owning an extra pick in the second round would make that an easier decision and give them the nimbleness to strike quickly. Which is why they haven’t ruled out a trade-down from No. 2."

Passing on day-one starters such as Hunter and Carter could be difficult for Browns general manager Andrew Berry, considering the team is coming off a 3-14 season and needs more than just an upgrade at quarterback to be competitive during the 2025 campaign. That said, Berry may feel that moving down from No. 2 and walking away with both a playmaker such as Boise State's Ashton Jeanty (the consensus top running back in this year's class) and a project quarterback like Dart could be what's best for the future of the organization.