In the 2000 NFL draft, the originator of St1x C1ty, LaVar Arrington, went No. 2 overall to Washington, one pick after superstar Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown was selected by the Cleveland Browns. So perhaps it's fitting that the latest and only defensive end member of St1x C1ty, Abdul Carter, is widely being mocked to the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft as the No. 2 overall pick.
Carter, like Arrington, Navorro Bowman, Brandon Bell, and Micah Parsons began his career at linebacker. However, Carter made the move that Parsons should have made while he was still in Happy Valley and eventually did in the NFL, this offseason, switching from off-ball backer to full-time edge rusher. Then in his lone season at defensive end, Carter racked up 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss, winning the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
With only one season at his best position under his belt, the 6-foot-3 250-pound athletic freak will be one of the most highly-coveted players in this Spring’s NFL Draft and on Wednesday, Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick, as many others have, predicted that Carter will go No. 2 overall to the Browns.
It’s not just the Arrington and Brown history from 25 years ago that makes the landing spot so fitting, it’s also the potential fit on the field with Myles Garrett. The Browns desperately need a quarterback after the Deshaun Watson contract turned into a disaster, but with Flick expecting the Tennessee Titans to grab Cam Ward at No. 1 overall, the best option for Cleveland could be to start yet another rebuild on the other side of the ball.
With Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, on the other side of the defensive line, Carter will rarely see double-teams early in his career which will enable him to dominant one-on-one matchups against opposing offensive tackles.
The New York Giants, who hold the No. 3 overall selection have Brian Burns in place as Carter’s potential running mate, but he doesn’t draw nearly as much attention as Garrett, and the New England Patriots at No. 4 don’t have a single pass-rusher who could draw the offense’s focus away from Carter, even as a rookie. While very little has ever gone right for the Cleveland Browns, it could be the perfect place for the Nittany Lions legend to start his NFL journey.