Browns Hold Significant Pre-Draft Meeting With Abdul Carter

The Cleveland Browns brass visited with the star defensive end ahead of his Pro Day at Penn State

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State defensive lineman Abdul Carter (DL44) during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There's been a lot of smoke linking the Cleveland Browns to Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter of late. Now there's even more.

Just a few days after Adam Schefter shared that it's "tracking" for the Browns to select Carter with the No. 2 overall pick in next month's NFL Draft, ESPN's top insider revealed on Friday morning that a large contingent of Cleveland personnel enjoyed dinner with the star pass rusher on Thursday night in State College, Pa.

The gathering came the night before PSU held it's annual Pro Day, and included team owner Jimmy Haslam, executive vice president JW Johnson and general manager Andrew Berry. Carter is not expected to participate in Friday's workout due to his continued rehab from a shoulder injury suffered during the College Football Playoff.

Ahead of Penn State’s Pro Day today, Abdul Carter had dinner last night in State College, Pa., with a large contingent of Browns officials, including owners Jimmy Haslem, JW Johnson and GM Andrew Berry.

Earlier this month, Carter visited the Browns’ facility and met with… pic.twitter.com/8MUP0TzNz2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 28, 2025

The shared meal serves as the latest tea leaf connecting the Browns to Carter, although the team's top staffers have been doing their due diligence on many of the top names in consideration at No. 2 already.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Cleveland's brass also had a private workout with Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who seems to be the consensus No. 1 overall pick of the Tennessee Titans at this point.

Similarly, the Browns have plans to have a similar private workout with Colorado's Shedeur Sanders next week, following his Pro Day on April 4.

With less than a month to go until the draft, Cleveland is clearly getting a full assessment of all the players they'll be considering with the second overall pick.

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