Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter discovered a stress fracture in his foot at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet, despite not working out because of that injury and an ailing shoulder he injured in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, Carter has been identified by many as the best player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
His medicals likely won’t be a concern to the teams at the top of the draft, but the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year may have gotten crossed off of one team’s draft board this weekend for a different reason.
The Cleveland Browns hold the second pick after a disastrous season that saw quarterback Deshaun Watson end his year with a torn Achilles. Sinking back to the bottom of the NFL prompted star defensive end Myles Garrett to request a trade away from the organization that made him the No. 1 overall pick back in 2017. However, on Sunday, Garrett agreed to a four-year $123.5 million contract that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of the league.
With Garrett locked up for top dollar, Cleveland is highly unlikely to spend its premium draft pick on another pass rusher, almost certainly eliminating Carter from their consideration and potentially sliding him down the board. Cleveland’s trade for Watson and the subsequent fully guaranteed contract has proven to be a disaster, and with no way out, the Browns appear set to draft a quarterback in April.
The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 selection and could use it on Carter, but the franchise may be wise to trade out of the pick. The Titans could demand serious compensation for allowing a team to leapfrog the Browns and draft Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall. The New York Giants appear interested, and that would let the Titans fall back to No. 3 where Carter could fall into their laps with Ward and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders off the board.
The draft is still over a month away, but the Garrett contract is one of the first big dominoes to fall at the top of it. Abdul Carter will still be a top pick, but with so many QB-needy teams, a dominant Pro Day might be what he needs to cement his status.