As we inch close rand closer ot the 2025 NFL draft, the general consensus seems to believe that Penn State edge rusher and 2024 Big Ten defensive player of the year Abdul Carter is going to be locked into a top-three draft pick. Carter may still have his sights on being the top overall pick, but the latest projections suggest Carter is more likely to go one or two picks later.
The first big decision to make in this year's draft will come from the Tennessee Titans, who must decide between drafting a quarterback or taking the best defensive player on the board. The Titans are widely expected to go with the quarterback option with Miami's Cam Ward being considered the most obvious pick. Assuming the Titans do draft their quarterback, then the next big decision, and perhaps the most pivotal decision in the early round, will be made by the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns will also be faced with choosing between drafting a quarterback or getting a top-flight defensive player. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders appears to be the wild card factor here, but it is uncertain if the Browns will use the no. 2 pick to draft Sanders. If they do not, then a defensive player makes the most sense. Would the Browns select Carter or 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter? The Browns have the biggest decision to make at the top of the draft. In short, Carter will likely be a Brown or slide right into the laps of the New York Giants, a team Carter visited this week.
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) April 11, 2025
There is a lot of talk about the Giants being interested in Sanders to fill the team's quarterback need, so the Giants could also have a big decision to make depending on what the Browns do. The Giants may not have quite the immediate need for a quarterback now after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston for a possible short-term fix, allowing the team to focus more on getting a monster defensive player like Carter. That could potentially set the Giants up for drafting Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL draft, but that's a conversation for another day in the future.
"And given the weakness of the class, passing on Sanders in favor of Abdul Carter, arguably the best player in the draft, is an easy choice," Dan Benton of Giants Wire said in a fresh mock draft from Touchdown Wire.
The Giants could also be in a favorable spot to trade down in the draft order if they feel good about their defensive line situation and get an offer worth taking. Athlon Sports projects a possible trade with the Chicago Bears, who would be moving up to select Carter.
No matter where he lands, Carter will be in the draft day spotlight when the draft kicks off in a couple of weeks. Even if he is not the first overall pick, his name is going to be a hot commodity in the first few picks until the Browns or Giants (or someone else) call his name.
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