Abdul Carter was once talked about as the guy who could go No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has the build, the production, and the positional value you want in a top pick.
And after putting up monster numbers during the 2024 season—12 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 61 pressures—Carter made it clear that his switch from linebacker to full-time edge rusher was a career-changing move.
But fast forward to now, and there's a bit of a twist in Carter’s draft story.
The Penn State star won’t be working out at his school’s upcoming Pro Day. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, confirmed that Carter is still rehabbing a shoulder injury he sustained during the Boise State game. That’s not a long-term red flag, but it does mean teams won’t get to see him up close this week. Rosenhaus did mention Carter could still hold a private workout in mid-April, but for now, this injury is making waves—and not in the good way.
Let’s be clear though: we still believe Abdul Carter is going to be a top-5 pick. No question. He’s simply too talented and too disruptive off the edge to fall much further than that. However, the latest injury update probably shuts the door on him being the No. 1 overall selection. And to be fair, that was never a sure thing in the first place.
The top of the draft is always a quarterback-heavy zone, it it feels like Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are vying for that top spot. Carter might’ve needed a near-perfect pre-draft process to keep himself in that No. 1 discussion. Without a Pro Day to add to his résumé—and with medical evaluations becoming a larger piece of the puzzle—some front offices may simply feel safer going another route early.
That said, not everyone is buying into the slide. Mel Kiper Jr. made waves recently for pushing back against fellow analyst Mike Tannenbaum, who had Carter falling to No. 5 in his latest mock draft. Kiper didn’t hold back, saying if you’re the Patriots or another team in desperate need of a pass rusher, and Carter’s on the board, that pick should be automatic.
Carter’s blend of size (6-foot-3, 250 pounds), explosiveness, and motor made him one of the most top defenders in college football last season. His tape speaks volumes, and it's easy to see why he's been tabbed the top edge-rusher in the draft.
So what does this mean for draft night? Most likely, Carter’s slide—if you can even call it that—won’t be very far. He’s still one of the safest bets to come in and make an immediate impact. And if his medicals check out in April, he could easily work his way back up a spot or two before the big night in Green Bay.