2025 NFL Draft: Abdul Carter scouting report

Arguably the top edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft is Penn State’s Abdul Carter.

Many were curious as to how he would fare moving from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher this season. He has had a lot to live up to at Penn State, having been bestowed the No. 11 jersey donned by the likes of Micah Parsons, LaVar Arrington and NaVarro Bowman. One unanimous All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year season later, though, it seems like those questions have been answered.

What exactly does Carter do well, though? Is he better than the top edge rushers selected in last year’s class? Let’s explore this by breaking down one of the top defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Games scouted: @ Illinois, 2023; vs. Illinois, 2024; @ West Virginia, 2024; vs. Ohio State, 2024

Strengths

• Elite athlete who could legitimately test in the 4.4 range in the 40-yard dash
• Explosiveness off the line of scrimmage might be the best in this draft class
• Very quick off the edge, and he times his jumps on the ball well
• Flexible pass-rusher who can get low and turn the corner with sharp angles of pursuit
• Rushes with a relentless motor both through contact and in space
• Experience as an off-ball defender shows in his comfortability as a pursuit defender in space
• Mobile athlete with plenty of range as a tackler
• Pass-rushing arsenal deepened significantly in 2024 with swims, rips and cross-chops featuring in his game
• Exploded for a 90.8 PFF grade in 2024 heading into Penn State’s second round playoff matchup
• Led the Big Ten with 11.0 sacks and 22.0 tackles for a loss in 2024
• Generated 56 pressures this year, which is good enough for exactly 4 a game
• Solid build at an estimated 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds

Weaknesses

• Charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2023 and simple assault and harassment charges in 2024
• Only a one-year starter as an edge rusher
• Has a 19.2% career missed tackle percentage
• Has a tendency to arm tackle a bit too often, as he could stand to improve how he breaks down as a tackler in space and wraps up with proper form
• Versatility as a power rusher is still fairly unproven
• Jabs don’t have a ton of power behind them yet, and he doesn’t convert speed to power incredibly well at this stage

Recap

The comparisons to Micah Parsons have run rampant in discussions surrounding Carter, and it’s not hard to see why.

Other than their obvious Penn State connections and No. 11 jersey in college, both made the transition from linebacker to edge rusher with tremendous aplomb. Carter has the elite athleticism that helped Parsons in college and has turned him into one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. The former actually has a full season off the edge at the collegiate level, which helps him develop as a technician as he prepares to make the jump to the pros.

There’s an extremely high ceiling with Carter. Though I like him best as a stand-up edge rusher in a 3-4 base system, I don’t have much reason to think he can’t succeed in a 4-3 base defense. His first-step acceleration is second to none, and he’s a freak athlete with the quickness and agility needed to give offensive tackles nightmares in pass protection. He rushes with a red-hot motor and showcases relentless pursuit when trying to penetrate opposing backfields.

Whichever team drafts him will have to look into his off-the-field background. On the field, though, it’s clear he’s a gifted defender with an extremely high ceiling. I would take Carter’s 2024 tape over any defender drafted in the last draft class. He’s not the level of technician that Jared Verse or Laiatu Latu were coming out, but his athletic upside and disruptive style of play give him an even higher ceiling than those two. Carter, in my opinion, has more freakish tools and more polish at this stage than Dallas Turner, who displayed arguably the highest athletic potential of the top edge rushers in the 2024 class but has struggled a bit as a rookie for the Vikings.

In all, the sky is the limit for Carter if he can maintain this level of developmental trajectory. His move to edge rusher was everything one could have wanted and then some. If he continues to grow at the rate he has as a technician, his elite physical ability should end up being maximized in the form of a perennial Pro Bowler.

Tentative grade: Top 10