The 2025 NFL Draft is approaching and Abdul Carter is one of the top prospects on the board. This is a breakdown of how Carter profiles for the NFL and where he could potentially land.
Abdul Carter NFL Draft Profile
Abdul Carter currently has the second-best odds to be the No. 1 draft pick at DraftKings Sportsbook. Cam Ward is the -140 favorite, with Carter not far behind at +165.
Physical Traits/College Film
Abdul Carter is arguably the most talented player in the entire NFL Draft. He has an incredibly high ceiling to be one of the great EDGE rushers in the NFL over the next decade. However, arguably more importantly, he might have the highest floor of any player in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Carter is a 6’3 250-pound athletic freak who has great intangible qualities that could make him one of the greats at his position. Carter was a three-year starter at Penn State and, last season, he was an unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. His incredible impact on the Penn State defense also helped propel the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
There aren’t many negatives when looking at Carter physically or on tape. He has around the same measurables as TJ Watt and Micah Parsons, two of the top EDGE rushers in the NFL at the moment. He also has great speed for his size and a love of physical football. Some NFL scouts have expressed a desire for Carter to add 10-15 more pounds of muscle because, at times, he has been disrupted by the longest and strongest of offensive tackles. That being said, Carter’s 12 sacks last year against overall great offensive line play in the Big Ten was a tremendous level of production. One thing that Carter could improve on is perfecting more pass-rushing techniques. At times, things were almost too easy for Carter at the collegiate level and he could keep beating opposing tackles with the same simple pass-rush moves. At the NFL level, Carter will need to mix it up and come up with more creative ways to get after the quarterback, which he will surely be capable of.
NFL Comparisons
Realistic Comp: Micah Parsons – It might seem like a cop-out answer because Abdul Carter was basically Micah Parsons’ heir at Penn State, but the two have a very similar style of play. Parsons wore No. 11 at Penn State and was drafted by the Cowboys in 2021. The following year, Abdul Carter went to Penn State, took that iconic jersey for himself and lived up to the high bar that came with it. Carter is listed at 6’3/250 and Parsons is listed at 6’3/245, so they are almost the exact same size in addition to their other similarities. Parsons won the Defensive Rookie of the Year, has been a Pro Bowler all four years of his career and is a two-time All-Pro. If Carter can match that success through his first four seasons, that would make him a home run of a draft pick by whoever takes him.
Ceiling Comp: Von Miller – Having a realistic comp of Micah Parsons is already a pretty high bar, but Carter has the tools and the mindset to be one of the all-time greats. That is why he could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer like Von Miller will surely be. Miller is 16th in NFL history in career sacks and has won a Super Bowl MVP, making him one of the all-time great EDGE rushers. Miller is 6’3/250, the same measurables as Carter, and they attack the quarterback with a similar tenacity. Carter’s combination of explosiveness, agility and relentlessness is something that is rarely seen but is reminiscent of Von Miller during his college career at Texas A&M. If Carter finds the right home and gets great coaching, he can develop into an elite three-down EDGE, rather than just a pass rushing specialist. That is what could get him into the company of the all-time greats.
Potential Landing Spots
These are the teams that are the most likely landing spots for Abdul Carter:
Tennessee Titans – The Titans have the first-overall pick in the draft and while many believed they would go with a quarterback, likely Cam Ward, the Abdul Carter buzz has been strengthening. With odds of +165 to go No. 1 overall, Carter is not far behind Ward according to the oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Titans have seemingly given up on Will Levis, but if they believe that their roster is not ready to compete yet even with better quarterback play, they could opt to take the most talented player in the draft. Many people believe that person is Abdul Carter and he could be their superstar of the next decade. Then the Titans could potentially have one more bad season before moving on a quarterback in the stronger 2026 NFL Draft class and have that QB paired with Carter as the future of the franchise.
Cleveland Browns – If the Titans elect to go with Cam Ward, it will be hard for the Browns to pass up on Abdul Carter. Similar to the Titans, it is rumored that the Browns could go quarterback with their second pick but they are not fully sold on any quarterback in this class. Myles Garrett has been one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL for the past few years and, just like Carter, was the heir to Micah Parsons’ throne at Penn State. He could do the same for Garrett in Cleveland. Garrett has two years left on his contract, so he and Carter could form one of the scariest pass-rush duos in football — that is, depending on how Garrett’s trade request goes down.
New England Patriots – There is a world where the Titans take Cam Ward first-overall, the Browns take Travis Hunter second and the Giants take Shedeur Sanders at pick three. That would mean that the most talented prospect on the board is still available for the Patriots at No. 4. The Patriots seemingly found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye in the draft last year, so now they are looking for pieces to build around Maye. There has been a lot of speculation that the Patriots will take an offensive tackle to protect their franchise quarterback, but Carter being on the board could be too hard for them to pass up.
Jacksonville Jaguars – It is hard to believe that teams would allow Carter to fall out of the top five. If the Patriots are insistent on building their offensive line then the top four picks could go Ward, Hunter, Sanders, then Will Campbell. That would allow the Jaguars to select Abdul Carter at five. They already have a quarterback and they added a great wide receiver in the draft last year, Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU. The Jaguars need to improve on the defensive side of the ball. Their superstar, Josh Hines-Allen, just signed a contract extension, and pairing him with Abdul Carter could give the Jaguars one of the best pass rushes in the NFL for the next four years.
