NFL Teams Reportedly Call Browns, Giants to Trade Up for Carter, Hunter or Jeanty

The Cleveland Browns and New York Giants have reportedly fielded multiple trade calls regarding the Nos. 2 and 3 overall picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

During an appearance Tuesday on Get Up, ESPN's Peter Schrager explained the situation, noting that a team trading up to No. 2 or No. 3 would likely be doing so with the intention of taking Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter or Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty:

"Texting every GM and every coach and I'll tell you this: Around the league, the Titans, they're not listening to trade offers. However, there have been phone calls made to both the Browns at No. 2 and the Giants at No. 3 with the intention to move up from several different sources telling me there are teams who are looking to get up in this draft to either No. 2 or No. 3 spot. The assumption being to move up to the No. 2 or No. 3 spot, it would be for Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter or the running back Ashton Jeanty, who everyone expects to go somewhere in that 5-7-8 range.

"There have been teams making calls and those teams are not immediately slamming down the phone, the Browns at No. 2, the Giants at No. 3. Everyone assumes it's going to be chalk, that this is going to go Cam Ward, it's going to go Travis Hunter, it's going to go Abdul Carter. Not so fast. I think the No. 2 spot gets very interesting if the Browns are listening to a 'Godfather' deal for them to trade back and someone to trade up into the top three."

While it has been assumed for quite some time that the Titans would take Miami quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 followed by Hunter to the Browns at No. 2 and Carter to the Giants at No. 3, a team trading into the top three for Jeanty would change the landscape of the draft significantly.

Both the Browns and Giants need a franchise quarterback of the future, but if Ward goes first overall, it would be considered a reach for them to take Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart that high.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that both the Browns and Giants have inquired about trading up to No. 1 to take Ward, but "it didn’t sound like the Titans even gave them a price," which suggests the Titans want to stay at No. 1 and take Ward.

If a trade up is not on the table, trading down would perhaps allow the Browns or Giants to take Sanders or Dart while also compiling additional current and future draft picks.

Of the three players rumored to be trade-up targets, Hunter is the most unique due to his excellence on both sides of the ball.

Hunter won the Heisman Trophy last season by virtue of recording 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 36 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions.

It is unclear which position Hunter will primarily play in the NFL, but he told CBS Sports (h/t ESPN) last week that if a team tries to limit him to one position, he is "never playing football again."

While it remains to be seen if playing a full allotment of snaps at both wideout and corner is feasible, Hunter's value to an NFL team will be through the roof if he can pull it off.

Meanwhile, Carter is widely regarded as the top pass-rusher in the draft following his dominant 2024 season at Penn State.

Carter consistently wrecked games for opposing offenses and finished with 68 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

The Browns and Giants each already have high-end edge-rushers in Myles Garrett and Brian Burns, respectively, so it is fair to wonder if they would be open to moving down rather than taking Carter.

It wouldn't be particularly surprising for a team to trade up for Hunter or Carter, but doing so for Jeanty would raise some eyebrows.

Jeanty's talent and production speak for themselves, as he racked up 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground last season en route to finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

While Jeanty could be an instant difference-maker for an NFL offense, he carried the ball 374 times last season, which could give teams some pause due to potential wear and tear.

The latest mock draft from the B/R NFL Scouting Department has Hunter going second overall to the Browns, Carter going third to the Giants and Jeanty going 10th to the Chicago Bears.

The 2025 NFL draft will officially kick off Thursday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.