Few names in the 2025 NFL Draft come with the recognition Abdul Carter does. The Penn State EDGE defender is a bonafide first-round pick with top-five upside. You’d be hard-pressed to find a big board exclude him from the top five prospects in this class, regardless of position. Still, Carter’s path to this point has been all but predictable. His 2025 scouting report sheds light on the variables that make him a unique draft prospect.
Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of Penn State EDGE Defender Abdul Carter
Measurables
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 252 lbs
Player Background
Hailing from Philadelphia, Abdul Carter had eyes on him early. The Penn State star began his career as an outside linebacker at La Salle College High School. A private institution, it was there that Carter began to turn heads with his play. So much so, that he gathered 12 college offers and a four-star designation as a college prospect. It did not take long for Carter to narrow down those options and set his sights on the Nittany Lions. He committed and enrolled prior to the 2022 season.
Carter made an impression immediately. As a true freshman, he recorded 36 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks. He remained a big part of the Penn State defense in 2023. Carter’s versatility was on full display in 2023, as he played a variety of snaps on the defensive line, as a linebacker, and even as a slot corner. As such, there were questions about his NFL projection heading into the 2024 season.
Those questions were quickly answered. Carter made the transition in 2024 to playing a majority of his snaps as an EDGE defender. The result was a 12 sack season and a meteoric rise to the top of NFL media draft scout boards. As such, Carter enters draft season among the top available players regardless of position.
Strengths
The tape evaluation for Abdul Carter helps to explain why his outlook is so positive heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. The first trait that becomes apparent when evaluating Carter is his explosiveness. There is a speed with which he is able to attack offensive linemen that just cannot be taught. A lightning-fast first step, coupled with quick and aggressive hands makes him an issue for offensive tackles in the passing game. This speed also translates into an excellent ability to carry momentum through what would generally be a stalemate for other defensive linemen. This is coupled with a great ability to contort his body. Carter has shown an ability to deploy elite bend as well when rushing the passer.
As a pass rusher, Carter also shows a good tendency to look to deploy a good variety of pass rush moves. He has an explosive counter spin with fast hands to chop and swipe. If he was to have a signature move, it would be his swim. The speed with which he can to shock offensive linemen, and sneak over the top, is incredibly impressive. Maybe most impressive of all is the fact that Carter has only one year of true edge play at this point. His best may be yet to come.
Carter’s versatility in his time at Penn State also serves as one of his biggest strengths. There are times when players play multiple positions in college simply because they cannot find a true home. Carter just happens to be good all over the field. He has all the athleticism required to play off-ball linebacker. Wherever he is lined up on the field, he meets blocks aggressively, and strongly enough to clog holes. Penn State also deployed him often in a spy role in 2024, which teams will surely look to replicate at the next level.
Weaknesses
A lot of the holes in Carter’s game are nitpicking. Namely, he does not possess ideal length for a pass rusher. This does at times lead to offensive linemen getting into his chest and creating a much more difficult time for Carter than he would have otherwise. Additionally, some of Carter’s athleticism and suddenness lead to balance issues when rushing the passer. At times, these balance issues limit the effectiveness of his natural ability to bend the edge.
Some inexperience on the edge does creep up when watching Carter’s film. There are times when offensive linemen identify his speed and momentum and use it to carry him upfield and out of his gap or rush lane. You would also like to see a bit more of a plan when Carter deploys his pass-rush moves. This should be remedied with time.
Potential Team Fits
NFL Projection
When projecting team fits, truthfully there should not be a team in the NFL that would not jump at the idea of utilizing Abdul Carter. There is simply too much-unprecedented athleticism and versatility in his game to not be excited about him as a prospect. The fact that Carter is relatively inexperienced as a true EDGE player suggests that his best play may be ahead of him. Poking holes in Carter’s game is a largely fruitless task and evaluating his tape backs up the hype he has received. Abdul Carter will be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and rightly so.
Main Photo: [Mark J. Rebilas] – USA Today Sports
