Abdul Carter Scouting Report: How He Bolsters The Defense
“With the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select, Abdul Carter, Defensive End, Penn State.” Those are the words that Roger Goodell spoke earlier Thursday night.
Penn State star, Abdul Carter has found a new football home in New York. Obviously, Carter is talented, but what exactly does he bring to a defense?
“He’s the best player in the Draft,” an NFL Executive told NFL Insider Matt Lombardo of Between The Hashmarks. “Just go and watch the Notre Dame game … He was a one-man wrecking crew with just one arm. There are no real weak points to his game.”
Over three seasons at Penn State, Carter logged 23 sacks, and 41 tackles for loss, underscoring how disruptive he can be in the backfield while finishing his collegiate career with 172 total tackles and 13 pass breakups.
Here’s what the Giants can expect from Carter.
Abdul Carter Scouting Report
NFL Media – Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match. He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.
Bleacher Report – 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.
Pro Football Focus – It’s hard not to see some Micah Parsons in Carter, who not only wears the same No. 11 but also pops off the screen nearly every play due to being a rare caliber athlete. If he can get even stronger, he has All-Pro potential as a player worthy of a top-five pick.
Yahoo! Sports – He is a twitchy pass rusher who can bend around corners and stay on his feet despite contorting his body like Gumby. Carter is still adding layers to his usage of hands and how to keep blockers off-balanced, but he has the package of length, quick-twitch athleticism, bend, strength and high level of effort to give him the upside of an elite ace edge defender with double-digit sack upside at the NFL level.
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Purdy was born and raised in central Ohio and served for four years writing for his high school's newsletter. Currently studying Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania, Ian has been a lifelong Nittany Lion fan.