Imagining a Scenario Where the Raiders Get Abdul Carter

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter might be the best player in the draft. No chance he falls to the Las Vegas Raiders ... right?

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Maxx Crosby on one end, Abdul Carter on the other.

Yeah, right.

Right?

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter might just be the best player in the draft, pound for pound.

That is saying something; this class has generational talents in Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, and a host of offensive lineman, defensive lineman, and wide receivers who are among the best prospects to come along in a while.

The chances a player like Carter falls to Raiders are very low--but not impossible. Our Las Vegas Raiders On SI beat writer Hondo Carpenter discussed it in the latest episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider" podcast.

Carpenter laid out a plausible scenario that could facilitate the fall. The key? Quarterback need-y teams and poor drafting teams.

"If three quarterbacks are taken in the first five picks, and then you assume Travis Hunter goes, that would put the Raiders one pick away from potentially the best player in the draft--Abdul Carter," said Carpenter. "Now let me just ask you this question. If you're a Raider, look at what happened to Brock Bowers last year. And you got a chance to get the dude of the draft. At sixth. To pair with a Maxx Crosby. I don't even care if you sign Malcolm Koonce, and K'Lavon Chaisson. You need defensive lineman. If you're the Raiders, how could you let an Abdul Carter go by you? I don't think you can. I just don't think you can.

"I mean, he is a dude. Best player in this draft. You got a chance to add a guy people are saying is Micah Parsons (of the Dallas Cowboys). And in some places, not all, but even some are better skillset than Micah. Pair him with Maxx? Come on, now. ... That's a big scenario."

The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler called Carter a "rare, All-Pro" level talent.

"Overall, Carter’s blend of production at multiple levels within a defense showcases an elite prospect," wrote Fowler. "Carter’s instincts and playmaking ability in multiple facets set the stage for a highly intriguing chess piece that can play all over a front seven, with projectable traits that could see him evolve into an All-Pro type of defender."

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