Travis Hunter to Pats, Abdul Carter to Browns in Both Kiper, Jeremiah NFL Mock Drafts

Both ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah predicted Tuesday that Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter will go No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns and University of Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter will fall to the New England Patriots with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

In their latest mock drafts released Tuesday, Kiper and Jeremiah projected to exact same top-four picks with Miami quarterback Cam Ward going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, Carter to the Browns at No. 2, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the New York Giants at No. 3 and Hunter to the Pats at No. 4.

New England is set to enter the draft in an advantageous position since it is the only team picking in the top four without a need at quarterback.

The Patriots got their franchise quarterback during last year's draft in the form of Drake Maye, while the Titans, Browns and Giants could all stand to upgrade the quarterback position significantly.

If two quarterbacks go in the first three picks, it will work in the Pats' favor since either Hunter or Carter would fall to them.

Hunter is an intriguing fit in New England since the Patriots would have the option to either play him primarily at wide receiver or cornerback.

Since the Pats already have a No. 1 corner in Christian Gonzalez and lack a big-time weapon for Maye in the passing game, Hunter would likely make the most sense at wideout for New England.

Hunter is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning collegiate season in 2024, as he recorded 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 36 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended.

A strong argument can be made that Hunter is the best overall player in the draft, so New England's front office would likely be ecstatic if he falls to No. 4.

At No. 2, the Browns will have a tough decision on their hands, particularly if Ward goes first overall.

The Browns would have to decide between going with the best player available in either Carter or Hunter, or taking the second-best quarterback in Sanders.

Given that Deshaun Watson could potentially miss most or all of the 2025 season due to a torn Achilles, and that he has struggled in Cleveland even when healthy, getting a new franchise quarterback has to at least be a consideration.

However, if the Browns don't view Sanders as being worthy of the No. 2 overall pick, it may be in their best interest to go with the best player available rather than reaching.

Carter is unquestionably the best pass-rusher in the draft after racking up 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss last season for a Penn State team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Aside from superstar pass-rusher Myles Garrett, who had 14 sacks, no other player returning to Cleveland after being on the roster last season had more than three sacks.

Garrett desperately needs some pass-rushing help, and Carter would arguably give the Browns the best edge duo in the league immediately.

The Browns' offense is shaping up to be perhaps the worst in the NFL next season, but Carter would fortify the defense and possibly allow Cleveland to be competitive on a week-to-week basis.