Penn State Football Has 2 of the NFL Draft's Top 5 Prospects, According to NFL.com

The Nittany Lions' Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren rank among the five best players in the draft, according to NFL.com.

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after sacking SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings during their College Football Playoff game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Does Penn State football have two of the top 5 prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft? It does according to NFL.com's Eric Edholm, who recently released his top 100 players of this draft cycle. The Nittany Lions have showcased defensive linemen and tight ends prominently in recent NFL drafts, and this year's Penn State draft class might reach the peak.

According to Edholm, Penn State's Abdul Carter (No. 1 overall) and tight end Tyler Warren (No. 4) are among the most elite prospects in this draft class. Even after a playoff shoulder injury and a foot injury diagnosed at the NFL Scouting Combine, Carter remains a viable option at No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans. Carter seeks to become Penn State's first No. 1 overall pick since Courtney Brown in 2000.

Though Edholm concedes that Carter's foot injury could affect his draft status, the defensive end, who led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss last season, is a ready-to-start edge rusher in 2025. "... I believe Carter is the surest thing in this draft class," Edhold writes at NFL.com. "The versatile Penn State product, who's just starting to scratch the surface of his potential, has a chance to be a Micah Parsons-like defender at the next level."

Warren brings similar versatility to the NFL. The Mackey Award-winner as the nation's top tight end also finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting because he impacted nearly every aspect of Penn State's offense. He became the program's first player to catch 100 passes in a season, ran for touchdowns, threw out of the Wildcat and even snapped the ball on his own touchdown reception against USC.

"Do-it-all tight end who has a pro physique and should be able to contribute in multiple ways early on," Edholm writes of the tight end. "Warren doesn't quite separate the way you'd hope on tape, but there's some George Kittle to his game."

RELATED: Penn State's Luke Reynolds seeks to follow Tyler Warren's versatile model at tight end

Since neither player participated in testing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, they will bring plenty of attention to Penn State's Pro Day on March 28. Both are scheduled to work out there, and Carter's agent Drew Rosenhaus promised that Carter will "put on a show."

Penn State safety KJ Winston ranks 76th among Edholm's top 100, an indication that he remains high on NFL draft boards even after the 2024 season-ending injury. Winston, who played just five quarters for the Nittany Lions, was scheduled to be cleared to work out by March 1.

The 2025 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. Carter and Warren will be first-round picks on the draft's first day, and Penn State could be busy on Day 3, when it also hosts the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium.