Abdul Carter NFL Draft Profile: College Stats, Scouting Report, and Top Comps

Quarterbacks are usually the talk of the town when it comes to the top of NFL Draft boards. Since 2015, eight quarterbacks were selected with the No. 1 pick. Defensive end was the pick in the two drafts without a QB going first overall.

The 2025 NFL Draft could provide the rare defensive end hearing his name called first. According to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Draft odds, Abdul Carter of the Penn State Nittany Lions has the second-shortest odds to be the No. 1 overall pick (+160).

What makes Carter a legitimate threat to be the first overall pick? You've come to the right place. Let's look at Carter's 2024 collegiate numbers, including his pressure rate and run-stop rate, via Pro Football Focus.

Abdul Carter NFL Draft Key Information

College: Penn State Nittany Lions

Age: 21.3

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 252 pounds

Games Played: 42

2024 Sacks: 12.0

2024 Pressures: 66

2024 Pressure rate: 18.8%

2024 Tackles for loss: 24.0

2024 Run-stop rate: 7.6%

Top Comparable Player: Micah Parsons

Abdul Carter Scouting Report

Before we dive too deep into Carter's scouting report, let's put some of these stats into context. First off, his 24.0 tackles for loss (TFL) led college football. Several other NFL prospects were toward the top of this category, including J.T. Tuimoloau (22.0), Mike Green (21.0), and Donovan Ezeiruaku (21.0). Additionally, Carter's 66 pressures was second in the nation behind Indiana's Mikail Kamara (67).

A strong finish to the 2024 season certainly helped Carter rise up big boards. This included a standout outing against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, recording 1.0 sacks, seven pressures, a 22.0% pressure rate, and three run stops -- via PFF. Keep in mind Carter was dealing with a bad shoulder in this game, essentially pulling off the feat with one arm.

The 2024 campaign was Carter's first full-time edge rusher role too, making his ceiling even more exciting. This is where our player comp comes in. Micah Parsons feels like the obvious comparison -- something everyone under the sun has mentioned. Both played for Penn State and wore No. 11. Parsons was also an off-ball linebacker, featured as an edge rusher here and there. Carter began as a traditional linebacker, moving to full-time defensive end in the 2024 season.

It goes beyond just the same school too. Each player has elite quickness and speed. Their size is even almost identical as Parsons was 6-foot-3, 245 pounds coming out of college. The blend of power and speed with an absurd first step from Carter shows shades of Parsons.

A comp to one of the NFL's best defensive players is pretty much all you need to know about Carter. There's a reason he's vying for the top overall pick, even when the Tennessee Titans in clear need of a quarterback. Carter has superstar potential as an edge rusher. After producing absurd numbers in his first full season as an edge rusher, the ceiling seems limitless for Carter.

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