A unanimous All-American and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, Abdul Carter took the country by storm in his first year as a true pass rusher.
Now, with eyes turned toward the NFL Draft, Carter seeks to be one of, if not the first players to hear his name called come April.
Abdul Carter Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3
- Weight: 252 pounds
- Position: EDGE
- School: Penn State
- Current Year: Junior
Carter’s Scouting Report
Abdul Carter was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. He played his high school football at LaSalle High School in nearby Wyndmoor, where he was a star player and two-time All-State selection.
Carter was a high four-star recruit and had offers from many of the top college programs in the country. He elected to stay close to home and attend Penn State, spurning programs like USC, Michigan, and others.
Carter was a key contributor instantly as a true freshman, starting six out of 13 games as an off-ball linebacker. His athletic ability and explosiveness was hard to miss while often being used as a blitzing linebacker, getting home to the quarterback a team-high 6.5 times.
Carter took on a starting linebacker role as a sophomore in 2023 but failed to improve on his freshman-year statistics. With that said, the tape still showed that he was one of the best players in all of college football, and he earned First-Team All-Big 10 honors.
Heading into his third season with the Nittany Lions, Carter was asked to transition from an off-ball linebacker to more of a full-time edge defender who could solely focus on rushing the passer. While it took a few games to adjust, Carter excelled in his new role, posting career highs in sacks and tackles for losses while also earning Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
Rather than coming back for a final season with Penn State, Carter declared for the NFL Draft, where he projects to be one of the top overall picks.
Strengths
- Rare explosiveness and straight-line speed off the ball and in pursuit.
- Violent hands and explosive lower body to generate knock-back power with little runway needed.
- High-effort player with outstanding motor who plays with his hair on fire throughout the entire down.
- Very high football IQ that allows him to key and diagnose plays as they happen.
- Fluid and sudden mover who can bend and corner while also flashing a nasty spin move which is near unblockable.
- Shoots gaps with his quickness but also flashes body control to get skinny and avoid blockers.
- Instinctive rusher who knows when to dip or turn speed to power.
Weaknesses
- Lacks high-end length and can be stymied by long and strong tacklers.
- Has some lower-body tightness that’s evident when he changes direction in run pursuit as well as at the top of his rush.
- Struggles to disengage from blocks down the field.
- Narrow frame and can be engulfed by bigger ensuing blockers.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Carter is one of the more fascinating prospects to enter the draft in quite sometime. He is a former linebacker who always flashed high-end athleticism and traits but was definitely playing a position that limited his upside. His move to a full-time pass rusher this season really showed just what type of player he can be and has allowed him to develop into an elite prospect.
Carter has good overall size but just average length for an edge defender. He is an outstanding overall athlete with a rare blend of speed, burst, and agility that allows him to be a game-wrecker as a pass rusher.
Carter is a versatile player who can align all across the defensive front. He is best when he is rushing from a wide alignment where he can use his speed to win the edge quickly and get around the tackle nearly untouched. Defensive coordinators will love the ability to move Carter around and create favorable matchups.
There’s a lot to like about Carter as a pass rusher. He displays an explosive first step to threaten the edges of the blocker almost instantly. Getting hands on Carter is extremely challenging, as he is so quick off the ball when going vertically but also displays outstanding lateral quickness to make the blocker miss with his hands and gain a clear path to the quarterback.
Carter is a speed rusher who plays with a relentless motor. His speed makes it nearly impossible for opposing quarterbacks to get away from him when he is closing down in pursuit, and he makes a ton of plays late in the down by never giving up on his rush. Carter has a little tightness in his lower half but still shows the ability to bend and corner at the top of his rush and is an excellent finisher.
While Carter is a highly disruptive rusher due to his speed and explosiveness, he does lack prototypical length that you would like to see from a high-end pass rusher. His lack of length allows longer tackles to get their hands into his chest to stop his forward momentum and stymie his rush. Furthermore, Carter isn’t a very dense player, and while he flashes ability converting speed to power, he isn’t a player who can win consistently with his bull rush.
Similar to his work against the pass, Carter excels versus the run game with his speed, quickness, and motor. He is hard to square up for oncoming blockers because he is so agile and can easily evade blocks and make the tackle. He is outstanding in pursuit and has excellent range as a defender due to his straight-line speed. He is also a violent tackler and a player who looks to dislodge the football upon contact.
When on the edge or off the ball, Carter does struggle to get off blocks at times when an offensive lineman get hands on him. He lacks the power at the point of attack to consistently set a firm edge and wouldn’t be asked to play on the strong side of an even front. While his athleticism allows him to win in the run game, this is not a player who’s likely to hold up well against a team that runs directly at him down after down.
Overall, Carter is a rare athlete, even for NFL standards, and has the potential to be a true difference-making pass rusher. He needs to continue working on getting stronger and getting off of blocks, but as long as the team who drafts him understands his skill set and where he wins best, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be an immediate impact player at the next level.