New York Giants Draft Prospect: Edge Abdul Carter, Penn State

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter reminds one of Micah Parsons. Would the New York Giants, who passed on Parsons in the 2021 draft, make the same mistake if Carter somehow falls to them at No. 3 this year?

Abdul Carter

Height: 6’3
Weight: 250 lbs
Class: Junior
School: Penn State
STATS

A former four-star recruit from La Salle College High School in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he was the ninth-ranked recruit from his state and the 33rd linebacker overall in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Carter was a dominant linebacker in high school, taking his talents to Penn State.

Carter played his first two seasons for the Nittany Lions as a linebacker before switching to EDGE in 2024. There, he recorded 66 pressures, 43 hurries, and 39 STOPs. Carter tied for second in the FBS in pressures (66; Mikail Kamara of Indiana had 68), and he was second in STOPs behind Mike Green of Marshall, who had 49.

Many will compare Carter to former Penn State star Micah Parsons; I’m not a big comparison guy, especially to a player from the same program, wearing the same number, but it’s easy to see why.

Carter’s rare movement skills and immediacy are akin to Parsons and have led the now Dallas Cowboys’ EDGE to stardom. Again, I don’t like comparisons, but I also see some Brian Burns at Florida State in Carter.

Carter is an elite pass rusher with a 22.8% pass rush win rate, ranked third in the FBS of EDGEs that played at least 50% of their team’s snaps. For reference, Kayvon Thibodeaux had a 20.2% PRWR in 2021.

Carter was a Unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. He twice earned First Team All-Big 10 (2023, 2024) and he was Second-Team All-Big 10 as a true freshman in 2022.

He joined Deion Barnes as the only Penn State freshman to record 10+ tackles for a loss and six+ sacks in a season. Carter has a realistic shot to be selected first overall in the upcoming draft.

Strengths

Chiseled elite athlete with rare suddenness and explosiveness
Rare agility and change of direction – gets very low into his rush
Insane acceleration – smooth!
Avoids contact well – is like NEO from the Matrix when rushing
Urgent, Urgent, Urgent mover
Amazing bend/control to contort his body while cornering up the arc
Quick feet set OL up for failure – understands how to set OL up
Can get very low with his rush – knee scraping the deck as he orients his hips into the pocket
Rare ability to flatten at the top of the arc
Does an excellent job absorbing contact up the arc
Elite inside spin move assists his incredible burst up the arc – keeps OT honest
Very good hand usage to keep distance and separate from OL
Feet and hands work well together when rushing passer
Beautiful dip/rip combination to win the edge with elite speed
Flashed a variety of pass rushing moves
Good overall play strength with excellent closing burst into contact
Flashed power rush moves
Insanely smart and natural pass rusher
Understands how to angle his body and avoid contact while rushing
Only played one true year at EDGE – upside is through the roof
Can play all over the defensive front – was a very good LB in 2022/2023
Solid overall run defender who still has room to improve (as LB/EDGE)
Quick backside pursuit – immediate read defender
Crashes the backside with authority – dangerous unblocked player
Very aggressive style of play – good force into contact
Solid coverage player with plenty of movement skills/fluidity to operate zone drops
Controlled enough to handle man responsibilities if asked
Very versatile player who can handle several aspects of front seven play
Has room to grow into his frame
Just turned 21 years old

Abdul Carter highlights vs Maryland pic.twitter.com/LqVu4gEgqR
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) February 15, 2025

Weaknesses

Seems smaller than his listed size (some speculate he’s sub-235)
Not the longest EDGE
Still a little raw as an EDGE rusher
Can run himself out of fit, trying to win up the arc
Has good overall play strength but it can be thwarted by long/strong and technically sound offensive tackles
Misses a lot of tackles – 19.1% missed tackle rate in college
2023 tape showed mistakes at LB – is not a technically sound run defender at the EDGE or LB
Could work on tackling fundamentals to become more secure
Not a bad run defender but is clearly more of a pass rusher
Needs more time learning how to anchor vs. the run/recognize rushing schemes
Deconstructing blocks once engaged in base situations needs to improve vs. the run
Relies heavily on impressive movement skills to avoid lock up with OTs vs. the run
Was charged with a misdemeanor for assaulting a tow truck driver in 2024

Nov 30, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after sacking Maryland Terrapins quarterback MJ Morris (not pictured) during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Summary

Few players in recent NFL drafts have the type of pass-rushing upside as Abdul Carter, which is one of the many reasons why he’s compared to Micah Parsons, among the obvious ones.

Carter is an insanely sudden and quick athlete with a NEO-like ability to avoid contact and contort his body around the punches of offensive tackles.

Carter keeps forward momentum with elite control while exploding up the rushing arc. Few players win high side like Carter, and even fewer use their feet/hands so well together.

He gets his hips oriented into the pocket so fast and gets so low to avoid contact; when he is contacted, he does a good job staying balanced or angling his body to mitigate the strength of the contact.

Carter is DANGEROUS in a phone booth, with a sensational inside spin move and rare speed to win through either shoulder. He also flashes power rush moves, albeit he’s more finesse right now. BUT his finesse is so fantastic, that offensive lineman are more susceptible to the power he does possess, for their ability to frame and engage Carter are hindered by his raw talent.

Carter will be selected as an EDGE to rush the passer and use his elite physical traits. He does offer value as a linebacker for a creative defensive coordinator; his best utilization as a LB is stacked, allowing him to scrape/flow to the football relatively unscathed.

His eyes/ability to trigger are accentuated by his elite burst, albeit he’s still wild and did misjudge his path into the backfield as a LB prior to 2024.

I don’t want to say Carter is fool-proof, even though I love his tape and ability. There’s a non-zero chance that Carter may be targeted on early downs and could be exposed against better – more physical – teams in the trenches.

On the flip side, he has room to grow into his body, he’s insanely athletic, and he only has one year as an EDGE. Sure, a defensive coordinator may have to get creative if Carter struggles to defend the run consistently, but his run defense ability in college doesn't suggest a liability, just not a certainty, and his pass-rushing skills are through the roof. It’s something to acknowledge, but not a deal breaker.

If Carter works on his block shedding ability and his eyes to perceive the offensive intentions, along with adding some strength, he will be a massive asset as a run defender; and these are achievable feats considering the traits Carter possesses.

There aren’t many players in consideration for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Carter is one of them and it’s easy to see why.

GRADE: 7.10

Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato

Abdul Carter

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

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