Abdul Carter NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Penn State EDGE

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 252

POSITIVES

— Switched from off-ball linebacker to EDGE this season. He is an impressive athlete with room to grow into a complete player down the line.

— Impressive burst off the line of scrimmage to win with speed around the edge.

— Has shown a very good dip-rip move as a pass-rusher, and he has the quickness and change of direction skills to develop a good inside stick move if his use of hands improves.

— Very good bend with a flexible lower half and he takes good angles as a pass-rusher, resulting in efficient paths to the quarterback.

— Agility and overall athleticism allow him to be effective as the looper in line games against both the passing and running games.

— Physical and aggressive style; plays with his hair on fire and isn't afraid to run into blockers going full speed.

— Occasionally uses his quickness to make offensive linemen miss against the run.

— Has experience in coverage and the athleticism to drop in coverage as a standup outside linebacker.

NEGATIVES

— Still a little raw as an edge player and learning how to play on the line of scrimmage, both as a run defender and pass-rusher.

— Use of hands could improve as a rusher to add moves to his arsenal.

— Block recognition against the run is a work in progress. He's often late to see pullers and doesn't consistently put himself in a good position to take on blocks.

— Could afford to add some size and strength to help be more effective when setting the edge against NFL offensive tackles.

NOTES

— 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports

— Arrested for misdemeanor assault in April 2024, attended rehabilitation program, per StateCollege.com

— 2024 Unanimous All-American; Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year; First-Team All-Big Ten

— 2023 All-Big Ten

— 2022 All-Big Ten; Freshman All-American

— Injured shoulder during College Football Playoff but played through the injury

OVERALL

After primarily playing off-ball linebacker during his first two seasons in college, Abdul Carter is still new to playing on the edge. However, picked up the position well in 2024, showing improved technique down the stretch and blossoming into a unanimous All-American.

Carter is an elite athlete, which gives him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher at the next level. His get-off is very impressive as he explodes off the line of scrimmage and can win with speed around the edge when times up the snap. Also, he's shown a very good dip-rip move and the potential to develop a stick move as an inside counter with his movement skills.

Additionally, he keeps his feet moving through contact to get pressure with the rip move if he doesn't get a clean win and has flashed an inside spin move that could be added to his arsenal if his use of hands improves.

However, his use of hands as a pass rusher is a work in progress at this point. He's still fine-tuning the accuracy and timing with his hands/initial chops to be able to work the offensive lineman's hands. Right now, he's pretty reliant on winning with speed and the rip move mentioned above.

Carter also grew as a run defender this season as Penn State increased his role and rarely took him off the field toward the end of the year. He could still afford to add some size and strength to hold up against NFL offensive tackles, but he has room for growth on his frame and the potential is there for him to grow into an every-down defender.

Initially, Carter will have to win with athleticism by making linemen miss or on run stunts to be an effective run defender. That could push him into a pass-rush specialist role to begin his career, but he could become a complete player by his second year in the league.

Schematically, he'd be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts. He also can be used to drop in coverage occasionally given his athleticism and background as an off-ball linebacker.

GRADE: 9.1 (Top-10 Player)

OVERALL RANK: 2

POSITION RANK: EDGE1

PRO COMPARISON: Von Miller

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.