Penn State’s Abdul Carter has long been considered the top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The standout EDGE defender expects to hear his name called first overall, but Miami (FL)’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders remain in the mix for the No. 1 pick.
However, Carter believes he’s the best overall player in the country and deserves to be picked No.1 ahead of Ward and Sanders.
Abdul Carter Sends Bolt Message to NFL Teams
The true junior spent his college career at Penn State, solidifying himself as one of the most dominant defensive players in this year’s class. As a freshman, Carter racked up 56 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks while playing a rotational role. His sophomore season saw a slight dip in production as he moved to off-ball linebacker, posting 48 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, along with an interception.
Carter’s 2024 season was his best yet, earning him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and a CSN honorable All-American selection. He led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinal, finishing the year with 68 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and broke up four passes, with his tackles for loss leading all of FBS.
He is undoubtedly among the best players available in the 2025 class, and he reiterated this at his Pro Day. Explaining why he should be picked No.1 overall, he said:
“I think that for a lot of reasons: my overall impact on the game, my versatility with being able to play multiple positions and most importantly, I step up when I’m needed the most. When crunch time comes around and you need somebody to make that big play, I make that big play.”
“At the end of the day, I make people around me better, just take them on double-teams bringing extra attention to me, freeing up somebody else so they can make the play and just my overall impact on the game.”
Carter further argued that the defensive players were as valuable as the quarterbacks and have led teams to Super Bowl victories.
“Those great defensive players, you look in the history, they can impact the game just as much as a quarterback,” Carter said. “There’s been defensive players who’ve taken over a game right at the end of Super Bowl in those playoffs scenes where you really need that great defensive player and he also makes people around him better. So I feel like just saying that, seeing how defensive players can take over a game, we’re just like a quarterback.”
The 21-year-old is so sure to hear his name called early that he will only be meeting with the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and New England Patriots — the teams currently holding picks No. 1 through No. 4, respectively.
He has already met with the Titans and Browns in his first two pre-draft formal meetings and claims it went well.
“I feel like the dinner went well,” Carter said. “It was their first time meeting my family and them really getting to see who I come from and where I come from. I’ve talked with the Browns a few times, but last night was good.”
PFSN’s Mock Draft Projection For Carter
In PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Ben Rolfe, Carter is projected to be picked second overall by the Browns.
“The Cleveland Browns are the ultimate wild card in the 2025 NFL Draft. They certainly need to do something at quarterback, with Deshaun Watson unlikely to play significant time in 2025 and Kenny Pickett profiling as more of a backup than a full-time starter. However, throwing Shedeur Sanders into this roster in 2025 may not be the smartest move in terms of his development.
“Therefore, in this mock, the Browns choose superior talent over positional need. Abdul Carter is viewed as a generational prospect, and pairing Carter and Myles Garrett would potentially take this defense from very good to great,” Rolfe wrote.
In case Rolfe’s prediction comes true, Carter is looking to use it as a fuel.
“Everything happens for a reason. If I don’t go number one, it wasn’t meant to be. But I’m also going to have that motivation. If they don’t select me, that’s motivation,” he said.
Whether it’s No. 1 or shortly after, the majority of experts expect Carter to come off the board early. He’ll enter the league with high expectations — to help anchor a defense and develop into a consistent double-digit sack producer at the next level.