The Cleveland Browns seemed fairly set to take the best player available with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This year’s draft class features Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders as the clear-cut best quarterback prospects, but the Browns seemed more likely to take pass rusher Abdul Carter to solidify their defensive line.
Pairing Carter with Myles Garrett could have been a tremendous duo off the edges, giving the Browns arguably the best pass rush in the league.
However, Garrett shook up the NFL when he formally requested a trade from Cleveland, which puts the franchise in a bit of a bind regarding their future direction.
While taking Carter would make even more sense if the Browns do decide to move on from Garrett, it might actually put more pressure on the team to draft a quarterback.
Ryan Tyler argues that beefing up a pass rush without a quarterback in place would keep the organization from truly moving forward via The Return With Josh & Maria Cribbs.
“We’ve seen in the past just in the last 5 years if you don’t got the QB none of it matters and you’re back to a full rebuild,” Tyler said.
Should Myles Garrett's trade request make the #Browns reconsider their plans with the No. 2 Pick? #DawgPound
"We've seen in the past just in the last 5 years if you don't got the QB none of it matters and you're back to a full rebuild."
–@Ryantyler33 pic.twitter.com/kYEv0r7ZsY
— The Return With Josh & Maria Cribbs (@TheCribbsShow) February 8, 2025
Trading Garrett should result in a haul of young players and picks for Cleveland, but as Tyler points out, it won’t matter until they have a long-term answer under center.
Drafting Ward or Sanders could be the correct move, but in a weaker quarterback class, there’s always the option of taking someone like Carter and gambling on a signal-caller on Day 2.
NEXT: Concerning Details Surface About Myles Garrett's Frustration With Browns
