With the NFL Draft just over a month away, the hype surrounding Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter and tight end Tyler Warren hasn’t wavered. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah published his third mock draft of the year on Tuesday, and placed Carter and Warren firmly within the first 15 selections.
Jeremiah projected Carter to be selected by the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick. That marked the first of Jeremiah’s mock drafts this year that saw Carter fall out of the top spot, held by the Tennessee Titans, who are now projected to take Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward.
Warren dropped to the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 14 pick in Jeremiah’s latest mock draft. This comes a month after Jeremiah projected Warren as the No. 7 overall selection to the New York Jets. Warren remains the first tight end off drafted on Jeremiah’s board, four spots over Michigan’s Colston Loveland.
TITANS STILL NEED QB
Carter has been widely viewed as the top overall prospect in April’s draft. But a week after the start of NFL free agency, the Titans are still in search of a starting quarterback. Tennessee signed longtime backup Brandon Allen, but he’s not expected to take on starting duties, opening the floor for the franchise to select a quarterback in the draft.
Carter has the opportunity to become the Nittany Lions’ first top overall draft pick since defensive end Courtney Brown in 2000.
WHY THE BROWNS?
The Browns have a major decision to make, especially if Ward is selected with the first pick: will it be quarterback or otherwise? Cleveland’s All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett dropped his trade request and signed a contract extension, giving the Browns an option to select a quarterback. But if they’re not satisfied in the pool of signal callers, Carter could be the pick.
“The Browns could be weighing taking Carter second and a quarterback in Round 2 versus picking Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 and waiting on an edge rusher until the second round,” Jeremiah wrote. “I think you can make a strong argument that taking Carter and waiting for a second-tier QB in Round 2 is the better option.”
WARREN’S DROP
As Warren sat out drills during February’s NFL Scouting Combine, a handful of prospects such as Missouri tackle Armand Membou, Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden and Georgia safety Malaki Starks boosted their draft stocks. Warren still has the makings of a top-10 pick, it’s just a matter of how much value a team is willing to place on a tight end.
With a run-heavy offense led by running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts could greatly benefit from a staunch run blocker such as Warren, who is also an excellent receiver in his own right.
“Whether it’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones starting for the Colts next season, the team needs to help its quarterback with some easy completions,” Jeremiah wrote. “Warren can provide them, and he’ll also be an asset in the run game for Jonathan Taylor.”
