Amid Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter chatter, Abdul Carter finds himself in Cleveland per latest NFL mock draft 

Abdul Carter is anticipated to be one of the early picks in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft. The former Penn State star is arguably the best defensive player in the draft, making him a coveted prospect among NFL teams and garnering him a lot of attention within the league.

In the latest mock draft by The 33rd Team, Carter went off the board as the No. 2 overall pick, going to the Cleveland Browns. The mock draft was compiled by draft analyst Kyle Crabb, who explained why the Browns will opt for Carter instead of a quarterback.

"Cleveland remains in an interesting spot,” Crabbs wrote via The33rdTeam.com. “Would it succumb to the temptation of a quarterback with a rookie contract on the table? Or does it feel any level of pressure to win immediately after their regression from 2023? If they go the veteran quarterback route (and no, not just Kenny Pickett…), Carter seems like he's the play at hand."

Abdul Carter had a brilliant college career at Penn State. It looks like a safe pick for the Browns rather than going out for a new franchise quarterback. The defensive end contended during the NFL Combine that he deserves to be the first pick.

Who joined Abdul Carter in the first-round mock draft

Crabb's latest mock draft featured only the first-round selections. While Carter went to the Browns, a host of top draft prospects also got consideration.

Cam Ward went at No.1 just as in many other mock drafts. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were listed in the top five picks, despite the falling draft stock of the former over the last couple of weeks.

Here's a closer look at the full mock draft by The 33rd Team:

#1. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB, Miami

#2. Cleveland Browns - Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State

#3. New York Giants - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

#4. New England Patriots - Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

#5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

#6. Las Vegas Raiders - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

#7. New York Jets - Mason Graham, DL, Michigan

#8. Carolina Panthers - Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia

#9. New Orleans Saints - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

#10. Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU

#11. San Francisco 49ers - Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

#12. Dallas Cowboys - Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia

#13. Miami Dolphins - Nick Emmanwori, DB, South Carolina

#14. Indianapolis Colt - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

#15. Atlanta Falcons - Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan

#16. Arizona Cardinals - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

#17. Cincinnati Bengals - Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

#18. Seattle Seahawks - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

#19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia

#20. Denver Broncos - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

#21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jackson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

#22. Los Angeles Chargers - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

#23. Green Bay Packers - Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M

#24. Minnesota Vikings - Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

#25. Houston Texans - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

#26. Los Angeles Rams - Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA

#27. Baltimore Ravens - Mike Green, DE, Marshall

#28. Detroit Lions - Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama

#29. Washington Commanders - Luther Burden, WR, Missouri

#30. Buffalo Bills - Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

#31. Kansas City Chiefs - Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas

#32. Philadelphia Eagles - Donovan Ezeiraku, DE, Boston College