Penn State's Abdul Carter this year was arguably the best defensive player in all of college football. The Philadelphia native dominated in his first year at defensive end after playing two seasons at linebacker for the Nittany Lions.
68 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.
He was a unanimous All-American selection. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. With numerous accolades under his belt, Carter now sets his sights on becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Carter throughout the last several months has been considered one of the top overall prospects available in this year's draft, with many NFL Draft experts even pegging the 21-year-old defensive end as the top player in the draft.
NFL.com's draft rankings have Carter as the second-best prospect with a draft grade of 7.00, the only prospect ahead of him being Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Most mock drafts with a little under two months until the 2025 NFL Draft firmly have Carter as a near lock to go in the top three as he battles the likes of Colorado's Travis Hunter and Miami (FL)'s Cam Ward to go first overall.
"I feel like it's very realistic," Carter said in his media day interview at the NFL combine on Wednesday morning when asked about the potential of being the first overall pick. "I feel like I'm the best player in the country and the best player should be selected number one."
"I would say the work I put in my whole life," Carter said when asked about his confidence. "My dad trained me to be the best player I could be. Not just being the best on the field, but off the field. Knowing all the work I put in, all the training I did, and all the sacrifices I made, I know I'm the best."
Carter will look to prove that he's the best player in the draft at next month's Penn State Pro Day as he still recovers from a shoulder injury that he suffered against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. The potential first-overall pick currently estimated himself to be around 90% recovered and should be 100% by the end of next month for the pro day.
The NFL Draft is set to begin on April 24 from Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
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