As NFL Draft Nears, Penn State Edge Rusher Says He Could Go No. 1

Abdul Carter of Penn State speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on Feb. 26, 2025, in Indianapolis. Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter believes he’s the best prospect in the country, and wants to be treated like it.

At his NFL Combine media availability Wednesday, Carter said he thinks he could be drafted with the first overall pick this year. Carter, who will not test at the Combine while recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained at the Fiesta Bowl in January, said he is looking forward to showing off his skills at his Pro Day and contributing to a team that needs his skills.

“I feel like it’s very realistic [to be the No. 1 pick],” Carter said. “I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and the best player should be selected No. 1.”

Carter’s prospect profile on NFL.com has him listed as a “Pro Bowl Talent.” NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein praised his athleticism and explosiveness in his pass rush, but said he needs to put on some extra weight and work on his rush plan and hand placement in order to shed blocks at the pro level. But Zierlein concluded that his physical traits “should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker.” Carter is listed as the second-best prospect on the Big Boards of The 33rd Team, Pro Football Focus, and USA Today; he is listed No. 1 on ESPN’s board.

Carter acknowledged he has some room for growth. “I can grow in really every area of my game. Using my hands more, running my feet on contact, striking, there’s a lot of areas I can still improve.” He noted that he prefers playing defensive end or as a dedicated pass rusher, but would be willing to play wherever his coaches need him.

Carter said he has been in close contact with Dallas Cowboys linebacker and fellow Penn State alumnus Micah Parsons throughout his last season at Penn State and into the pre-draft process. He told Parsons he wanted to be the No. 1 pick, and Parsons took him under his wing and trained with him. Carter said he models his game after Parsons, and watched him for his entire career since they come from the same school.

Carter said he wants to be the next great edge rusher to come out of Penn State. “Just looking at our history: Micah, [Miami Dolphins linebacker] Chop [Robinson], [Baltimore Ravens linebackers] Odafe Oweh, Adisa Isaac. Penn State is really ‘Edge Rush U,’ we’re turning into that. I’m really the next one out [of] that mold.”

Carter said his goal is to be “the guy” for the organization that drafts him. If he goes to a team with an established pass rush duo, such as the New York Giants [Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux], he wants to compete for a starting spot anyway. However, he also said he would relish the chance to play with a top-tier player like the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett. “That'd be dope,” he said. “Myles is one of the guys I study, one of the guys I watch—just his game, the way he can impact the game as a pass rusher and as a defender overall. ... [I] try to emulate my game after [him].”

Carter also said that defensive players deserve the same pride of place as quarterbacks and should be given the same pride of place when it comes to deciding who gets picked first overall. “Defensive players impact the game just as much as a quarterback,” he said. “I feel like me myself and all the best defensive players in the country need to just start speaking out about that more ‘cause we’re just as important to the game as the best quarterbacks.”

“If you look at all the great teams that won Super Bowls, you have that one standout great defensive player, and I feel like I’m that,” he added.

The 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year will not run any drills at the Combine; he suffered a shoulder injury in Penn State’s 31-14 victory over Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl in December. Carter said he feels “about 90 percent” and is “starting to heat up right now” in his training. He is getting ready to perform at Penn State’s Pro Day, and says he wants to “perform at an elite level.”