Reporter addresses Browns' possible Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter conundrum

Multiple NFL insiders previously said that they believed the Cleveland Browns could make Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter the second pick of the 2025 NFL Draft over both Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. That was before The Athletic and ESPN's Matt Miller named Carter the draft's top overall player in their latest rankings. 

However, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand shared in a piece published late Monday night why individuals within the organization are no longer "debating" if Carter could be a better option for the club than Hunter. 

"The Browns have invested in four edge-rushers to compete for the complementary defensive end spot opposite Myles Garrett, while they haven’t added anybody at wide receiver," Grossi explained. "The incumbent young rushers are (general manager) Andrew Berry draft picks Alex Wright (third round, 2022) and Isaiah McGuire (fourth round, 2023). This spring, Berry added veteran free agents Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (Tampa Bay first-round pick, 2021) and Julian Okwara (Detroit third-round pick, 2020). Clearly, the Browns believe they can make do with a rotation at left defensive end opposite Garrett."

It's worth noting that an overwhelming majority of reporters and analysts are now convinced the Browns won't draft Sanders at pick No. 2, perhaps because he may not want to end up in Cleveland. As for Hunter, both The Athletic and Miller have him as the draft's second-best prospect behind only Carter. 

"Hunter can play either wide receiver or cornerback in the pros (or maybe both)," Miller wrote for his article published on Monday. "One exec from an NFL team told me his franchise views Hunter as a cornerback who could play a handful of offensive snaps in the pros, and I think many other teams agree with that thinking. Multiple scouts remarked that finding an elite cornerback is harder than finding an elite receiver, and that's pushing teams to prefer that the two-way star start on defense." 

As of late Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Hunter as a significant betting favorite at -330 odds to be the second overall pick of the draft. To compare, Carter was at +225 odds. 

Unless a team makes Cleveland an unexpected trade offer for the second selection, it sounds like Hunter will be rocking a Browns hat on April 24. Meanwhile, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates are among those who think Cleveland will trade back into the first round to take Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart.