Penn State Football edge rusher Abdul Carter becomes the first former Nittany Lion to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, as he was picked third overall by the New York Giants.
The 6-foot-3, 259-pounds defensive end is tied for the sixth highest selected Nittany Lion history, joining running back Curt Warner who was also selected No. 3 overall back in the 1983 NFL Draft. Carter also becomes the highest draft pick for the program since the Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018.
With this pick, Carter becomes the seventh first round pick for Penn State under head coach James Franklin. He joins the likes of Olu Fashanu (2024), Chop Robinson (2024), Jahan Dotson (2023), Micah Parsons (2021), Odafe Oweh (2021) and Saquon Barkley (2018).
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CARTER AS A RECRUIT....
Coming out of high school, Carter was one of the top linebacker recruits in the country, as he was ranked No. 232 overall and 20th at his position, according to Rivals. The Pennsylvania product hails from LaSalle College High School and decided to stay in-state over the likes of Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
CARTER AS A PLAYER....
As stated above, Carter was a linebacker recruit out of high school and spent his first two seasons with the program at the position. This past season, Carter bulked up and moved to edge rusher and had arguably his best year yet as a Nittany Lions.
During his lone season as an edge rusher, he racked up 68 total tackles, 24.0 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks.
Awards/Accolades:
- 2024 All-American
- 2024 Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
- 2024 Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
- 2024 All-Big Ten First Team (coaches / media)
- 2023 All-Big Ten First Team (coaches)
- 2023 All-American Second-Team
- 2022 All-Big Ten Second Team (media)
- 2022 True Freshman All-American
What the experts are saying....
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein on Carter: "Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match. He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent."
Bleacher Report's NFL Draft Department on Carter: "After primarily playing off-ball linebacker during his first two seasons in college, Abdul Carter is still relatively new to playing on the edge.
Carter is an elite athlete, which gives him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher at the next level. His get-off is very impressive as he explodes off the line of scrimmage and can win with speed around the edge when times up the snap. Also, he's shown a very good dip-rip move and the potential to develop a stick move as an inside counter with his movement skills."
Pro Football Focus on Carter: "At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, it is hard not to see another former No.11 from Penn State (Micah Parsons) in his play. Carter is incredibly explosive in his movements and has some of the best bend, not just in this class but in the NFL. He has a very explosive and violent rip move. His speed-to-power conversion allows him to be a decently high-floor run defender, though he might struggle there early on as he acclimates to NFL size and strength. He does have shorter arms for an edge rusher. This impacts his ability to stack and shed, fully disengage from blocks, get his hands up in passing lanes and wrap up QBs. His pass-rush bag, as expected, is a work in progress, as 2024 was his first year as a full-time edge rusher. His hand usage and effectiveness only improved as the year went on. He has the build of an OLB pass-rusher, but if his weight is right, he could succeed as a 4-3 edge as well."
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