Abdul Carter will not go through an extensive pre-draft tour. The Penn State prospect expects to be drafted in the top four, and he will cut off access beyond those teams.
Already meeting with the Browns, the standout edge rusher circled back with the team holding the No. 2 overall pick by dining with team brass Thursday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. This meeting included owner Jimmy Haslam and GM Andrew Berry. The Browns have been closely linked to Carter at No. 2 overall.
[RELATED: Browns, Titans To Work Out Shedeur Sanders]
Holding the Nos. 3 and 4 picks, the Giants and Patriots also made the cut for Carter meetings, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Titans already met with Carter, and unless another team convinces him a meeting is worthwhile, no more are on tap for one of this year’s premier prospects.
The Giants made a move that could impact their No. 3 choice, having signed Russell Wilson shortly after their Jameis Winston deal. Wilson gives the team a starter-caliber passer, albeit one who has declined in recent years, who could give Joe Schoen and Co. cover if they are not sold on Shedeur Sanders — or if the Browns are and select the Colorado prospect second overall. The Giants have been connected to eyeing a QB choice beyond No. 3 overall, and although that would be a risk given Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s tenuous job statuses, Wilson could allow for a best-player-available pick.
Sanders going in the top three would represent excellent news for the Patriots, who would then presumably — assuming all this Titans-Cam Ward smoke produces a pick at No. 1 — have Carter or Travis Hunter still on the board at No. 4. Either would slot in as an instant starter for a team attempting to recover from its worst two-year stretch in decades.
If the Titans are becoming Ward-committed, the Browns become the team that must decide if Sanders is worthy of such a lofty draft investment. The second-generation NFL prospect has seen a gap form between he and Ward, and while a potential fall out of the first round is not viewed a realistic, Carter is viewed as a safer bet. Browns brass already met with Carter this month, doing so as they hosted Ward, Sanders and Hunter on “30” visits. Carter-to-Cleveland as a low-cost Myles Garrett complement has since gained steam.
Carter is coming off a dominant college season, having led Division I-FBS with 24 tackles for loss. Helping Penn State to the CFP semifinals, Carter posted 12 sacks and four pass deflections as well. Carter passed on Combine workouts, not being the only top prospect to do so, after a foot injury (a stress reaction) became known. Carter did not need surgery, but he is passing on working out at the Nittany Lions’ pro day. Friday. The Browns have college scouting director Max Paulus on-hand anyway.
Of the three teams in the Carter mix, the Giants would seem to need him least. While the Browns would benefit from a Garrett sidekick and Patriots from a long-term edge anchor, the Giants traded for Brian Burns two years after drafting Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5. This organization has a history of strengthening this position when it already appeared fortified — drafting Jason Pierre-Paul in Round 1 despite rostering Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka — but Hunter could be a higher priority if a need tiebreaker emerged. That said, the Giants viewing a gap between Carter and Hunter would make for a fascinating decision should both be on the board.
One of the true blue chip players of the draft. He won’t fall past the top 4, no need to take interviews with teams that have no chance of drafting him.
I mostly agree with that. My one question: What if a team would be interested in trading up to take him? Because if New England wanted to key in on offensive line or receiver, trading down would make sense.
In that case the team that trades up for Carter has to trust the film and their instincts.
Fair, but if part of the purpose of the visits is to get a look at his injury with their own staff, that’s a different story.
He is a high-character person I think he would meet with a team if they really wanted to meet him, I don’t think he is a diva who would disrespect a team interested in him unless he just didn’t want to play for that specific team.
As far as injury I think other teams are going to do plenty of work looking into the injury concerns. If something is bad enough that a team is going to pass on him then that information is going to come out. Its not a secret that there is a concern so I have to imagine the teams picking in the top 4 are already doing everything they can to make sure there is nothing lingering.
Bringing a guy in for a medical when you have say pick #19 for example doesn’t make to much since when there is little to no chance to draft him. At the same time from Carter’s view point its basically like hey if you want me its because of what I put on film, meeting me should not change how you view me as a blue chip player in a draft class that has been perceived to be lacking in high-end talent.
Could he have a lingering issue, yes, could other teams find this out and not announce it just so they can trade the pick away knowing he is highly-desired-damaged-goods, yes. But at the end of the day its the same as Deion Sanders and the NYG memory test, “-where are you picking? -yeah I’m going to be long gone by then” lose interpretation. He doesn’t have to do any team any favors.
Fair enough. I seem to recall one of the Bosas blowing off the Browns for this reason too.
I’m a firm believer that Carter should be the Browns’ pick at 2. Obviously the need for a quarterback supersedes anything else, but unless they’re absolutely convinced that Shedeur is a franchise guy, that guy isn’t in this draft.
This is assuming Ward goes first, and if Ward is still available at 2 then the Titans likely took Carter anyway.