How should the Cleveland Browns approach the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

From the moment the season ended and their draft placement was definitive, there have been an endless amount of discussions about what the Cleveland Browns should do with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are plenty of options available to the Browns, but identifying which is the best path forward for them to take is going to take a little bit of work.

Should the Browns trade down?

One of the most popular responses to what the Browns should do with the second pick is to trade down. With there being multiple positions of need on the roster and this quarterback class being considerably underwhelming, most believe trading down and stockpiling later picks is the best way to go. But is it?

If the Browns are actually going to avoid a complete and total teardown, they will need to infuse blue-chip quality talent, and that is what is available at the top of the draft.

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The further away you get from the first pick, the more chances that a team's selection is not the high-caliber player they are seeking. Cleveland's front office must prioritize quality rather than quantity in this draft and standing pat at two is the best way for them to accomplish that.

The argument in favor of trading down would be a lot stronger if there was a team with two picks inside the first 10 of this draft looking to trade up, but since that is not the case, this prospect is a lot less enticing than it is made out to be. There is no need to overcomplicate anything here: identify the best player that aligns with your team's needs and turn in the pick.

What about drafting a quarterback?

Now that it has been established that they should not trade down, maybe the Browns could place the hopes of their franchise's competitive future in the hands of one of the quarterbacks available at the top of the draft. Even though this is incredibly tempting, considering that there is not a starting-caliber quarterback on the roster, this may not be the best idea.

Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are expected to be taken pretty high in the draft, and some believe that they could be the answer quarterback-needy teams are looking for. But, neither option seems like the best fit in Cleveland.

Between taking too many hits and chances that anyone should feel comfortable with, it would be in the Browns' best interests to explore other options for the second pick and how they should find next season's starting signal caller.

So if not a quarterback, then who?

When evaluating who is expected to be available to the Browns with the second overall pick and cross-referencing that with what they need, there is one answer: Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

Ever since the Browns selected Myles Garrett with the first overall pick back in 2017, they have failed to pair him with a long-term pass-rushing partner on the other side of their defensive front. Drafting Carter to be the Robin to Garrett's Batman would give the Browns a pass-rushing combo that would be the envy of most of, if not the entire, league.

The argument against taking this particular path would most likely be the fact that the Browns are not addressing their offense with a high draft selection, and while it is understandable that some would prefer a pick on that side of the ball, this is about maximizing the return on the draft capital available to them.

No pick is a lock or should ever be considered safe, but when it comes to potential production coming from someone the Browns could bring into their organization, Carter seems like he will be able to bring the most value, and that is something the decision-makers in Berea should weigh heavily in their draft process.