If there’s one thing sports fans love doing ancillary to watching the actual games, it’s hypothesizing. GOAT debates, tier lists, “What if X didn’t get hurt?”—abstract subjectivity galore! With the NFL Draft mere days away, the hypotheticals doing the rounds within discourse concern where the top blue-chip prospects will land. It’s usually clearer this close to the draft, but the puzzle’s been rather difficult to solve this cycle. Travis Hunter, for instance, makes it extremely challenging. For one, his playing both sides makes it impossible to guess where he’ll head depending on fit and team needs. However, Hunter’s landing spot is becoming more and more conspicuous. The rationale is simple: a process of elimination where everyone except one team picking in the Top-3 is drifting out of the sweepstakes.

There’s one player whose fate appears all but sealed. Unless the Tennessee Titans trade down from the #1 overall pick, they appear destined to pick QB Cam Ward. It makes sense and is also being reported widely and prevalently. That leaves the other two prospects with consensus Top-3 grades being Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Alongside a bit of a wildcard in Shedeur Sanders. Who’s QB2 in this class but sliding in stock to the point where there’s a gulf between him and Cam Ward. The Cleveland Browns, picking #2, are in a scenario where all 3 options are equally viable. Which is obviously why it’s been difficult to assess where they’ll head. They need a quarterback the most, but the other two are considered to be better talents. Amidst this conundrum, some intel from a couple of big-timers in NFL media has potentially made things clear for Hunter.

Adam Schefter’s word is gospel around this time of year. He’s just shared an intriguing development around Abdul Carter and the Giants. Over his IG handle, Schefter said, “Penn St. edge rusher Abdul Carter had breakfast Sunday in State College, Pa., with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Carter also is now scheduled to visit the Giants on Thursday in New Jersey, and he figures to be a top-3 pick.” For the longest time, the Giants were slated to go quarterback. Shedeur Sanders, most likely. However, their business in free agency means it’s not as urgent a need anymore. This has opened up both Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter as options for Brian Daboll and Co. 

It’s believed the Giants’ selection will be rather straightforward- picking whichever of the two is available to them at #3. However, their getting privy to Carter does suggest they expect him to be the one that falls to them. This, by extension, means that the Browns will indeed pick Travis Hunter. Or, of course, they would throw a spanner in the works and go for Shedeur Sanders instead.

The horrible cap situation that has stemmed from that guaranteed contract for Deshaun Watson means only a QB on a rookie-scale contract can salvage the Browns. Revered draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has fanned the flames of this. Guesting on the “Up & Adams” show, he said something very informative to the host Kay Adams. “I think Cleveland’s going to get a quarterback with one of their first two picks. I don’t think it’s gonna be [with] the first one,” he remarked.

Daniel Jeremiah is more plugged in than most analysts. So when he says the Browns won’t draft a QB in round 1, that eliminates Shedeur Sanders as an option. This really drives up the likelihood of them picking Travis Hunter. Adam Schefter, alongside the Carter bombshell, also said something very telling on the Pat McAfee show. He reported Hunter is “the more likely pick” for the Browns than Carter. Schefter even said, “There are signs that point to the Browns now using the No. 2 overall pick on Colorado standout Travis Hunter.” There’s no smoke without fire. Plenty of reasons point to why the Browns would be making the ideal pick with Hunter.

Travis Hunter to the Cleveland Browns makes sense on multiple levels

A team that’s stuck in one of the toughest divisions in the sport can do much worse than picking Travis Hunter. By grabbing him, the Browns will be securing a tandem alongside Jerry Jeudy in the receiving corps, and they will gain a lockdown cornerback to bolster what’s already been a good defense when healthy. Worried about the caliber of QBs in the AFC North? Slap in the best CB in this class into your secondary. 

Can the Browns afford to pass on a QB? Not really, and as Jeremiah said, they’ll just be pushing it down a round. Which a player of Hunter’s ilk demands. You don’t pass on something as sure as this. Adding Abdul Carter to an EDGE room with Myles Garrett presents as an exciting proposition; it really does. This, too, will make those 4 games a year against Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow more balanced. However, as talented as Carter is, Hunter’s versatility and sheer volume of utilization perhaps give him a slight advantage. 

The Browns are in a win/win situation here, for once. Conceded, they’d ideally want a franchise quarterback at this juncture. However, with a perceived dearth in both quality and quantity at the position group this year, pivoting is still sensible. Whether it’s a 2nd round QB throwing to him or a stopgap solution like Kirk Cousins, Travis Hunter can change the course of this flailing franchise. As he helped do with Colorado.