Joel Klatt picks Abdul Carter to Cleveland Browns as a Myles Garrett replacement

Joel Klatt has heard the Myles Garrett trade rumors, and he believes bringing Penn State’s Abdul Carter to Cleveland during the 2025 NFL Draft could provide the perfect replacement for the Browns.

During the latest episode of The Joel Klatt Show, the FOX analyst predicted the Browns would land the Nittany Lions star with the No. 2 overall selection. Klatt has them trading their embattled star in Garrett in this scenario, so it makes a ton of sense for Cleveland to look Carter’s way if that’s how it all plays out.

“Let’s go to number two, Cleveland. Now, Cleveland could go quarterback here, but let’s face it, they’re going to need to replace Myles Garrett, who has now recently requested that trade. So there’s a player that I think is the actually the best player. If I were just making a big board, I believe Abdul Carter would be No. 1,” Klatt pointed out. “So, I’m going to go Abdul Carter with the Cleveland Browns. He’s a really great disruptive player on the edge, and he’s only played on the edge, you know, for a brief moment, in terms of the totality of his career.

“He was an off-ball linebacker to begin with at Penn State. Just moved down to the line of scrimmage basically full-time last season for Tom Allen, their defensive coordinator. All he did was go out there and, you know, lead the country in TFLs. I believe that, as he gets more comfortable at the line of scrimmage, he can have an impact that is similar to Micah Parsons. They won the same number at the same school in college, and this guy is really good.

“As twitchy as they come. He’s athletic. He can sink back into coverage. He can do it all. So with Cleveland needing to replace Myles Garrett, needing to get better on the defensive side — they need to add offensive talent, and I think that they probably will, but the Browns, they were last in the NFL in scoring and their defense probably — I wouldn’t say is the absolute priority, but they’ve got the chance to get the best player in the draft right there at No. 2, and I’m going to take it.”

While Carter would have huge shoes to fill in Garrett, he already went through something similar at Penn State as Klatt alluded to, replacing the production of Micah Parsons. His addition would certainly be a welcome one in Cleveland, especially if they decide to honor their star’s trade request.

All told, there’s still a possibility Myles Garrett remains in Cleveland, but perhaps the Browns would draft Abdul Carter anyway, and create an incredible pass-rushing tandem. It’s all smoke at the moment, but it’s an interesting thought from Joel Klatt regarding the franchise with the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.