2025 NFL Draft scouting report: Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter

A potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, what does Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter bring to the table?

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to inch closer, I will continue to pump out more and more scouting reports; this time it is Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.

Carter is coming off his first full season as a true edge rusher after playing predominantly off-ball linebacker for the Nittany Lions over the first two years of his collegiate career. And he lit up the stat sheet and exploded off the tape in his only season flying off the edge full-time.

In 2024, Carter racked up a massive 66 pressures, 12 sacks, 24 tackles for loss on his way to being named an All-American. There is a reason Carter has hype as the first non-quarterback off the board.

So let’s take a deeper look into his scouting report and what the potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft brings to the table:

Measurements

Abdul Carter did not test this pre-draft cycle after a stress reaction was found in his foot at the NFL Scouting Combine. Carter’s tape (and being the typical Penn State athlete) tells the tale of a highly explosive player and freak athlete, however.

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 250

Arm Length: n/a

Hand Size: n/a

Explosiveness

With rare, blue-chip explosiveness, Carter fires off the ball hot with excellent pad level. When he puts his foot in the ground, it takes him no time at all to get to full speed in pursuit of whoever has the football. His closing speed is fun to watch as he plays shot out of cannon with a reactive burst.

When he gets into the chest of the man across from him, Carter converts speed-to-power well to push pockets and drive linemen back into their quarterbacks.

Lower Half Flexibility

Carter is your typical Penn State twitched up athlete. His ability to essentially teleport across gaps and cross face of blockers is A-tier. The ankles of Carter are incredibly flexible, allowing him to take just about any corner and turn it tightly.

With oily hips, Carter has comfort playing well outside of his frame with a great deal of bend. This allows for Carter to comfortably change directions as well when he needs to put his foot in the ground and reverse course.

Pash Rush Plan

Using his lower half to set up pass rush moves at a high level, Carter loves to force oversets before taking the inside track with either a rip or spin move. He has a nasty ghost move that he loves to break out as well when he can catch blockers throwing hands early.

His cross-chop is his most lethal move as his hands work extraordinarily fast against the man across from him. Carter also uses a club-rip with frequency. He has a nuanced bag of tricks.

Physical Play Strength

Carter does not possess the most length, but he plays with excellent leverage to set a strong edge against the run. His pretty rocked-up upper half also allows him to shed blocks once stacked at a high level.

Despite his lack of size, Carter relentlessly works through contact in pursuit of ball carriers. His punches have significant shock value when landed. Carter is a violent football player who sees red in every play.

Final thoughts on Abdul Carter ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft

There is only one player I have graded higher than Abdul Carter in this year’s draft class and it is Colorado’s Travis Hunter. The Penn State pass rusher is worthy of being the top pick in the draft and it’s scary that I already view him as a blue chip player with just one year of full-time EDGE reps under his belt.

Sure, he’s a bit undersized but Carter plays with a tremendous amount of violence in his game. He sees red consistently and not even a shoulder injury could stop him from being a disruptive force against SMU, Boise State, Notre Dame in the College Football Playoffs.

From the tape to the production to the athletic profile (on tape), there is not a box that Carter doesn’t check.

He is the top pass rusher in the class and it’s not particularly close.