NFL Rumors: 'Strong Belief' Abdul Carter Joins Micah Parsons Among 'Elite Defenders'

NFL scouts and talent evaluators are expecting Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter to make an immediate impact at the next level, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

Howe noted Monday that Carter "has drawn obvious comparisons to former Nittany Lions star Micah Parsons," and how "there's a strong belief Carter can join Parsons among the list of the league’s elite defenders in short order."

Carter finished with 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss as a junior in 2024. He was a unanimous All-American and fulfilled the expectations of those who thought before the season opened he warranted special consideration within an NFL draft context.

A sign of his skills and massive potential, the 6'3", 250-pound defender could plausibly go first overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Carter is the second-ranked player on Bleacher Report's 2025 big board and boasts an overall grade of 9.1. The most recent B/R mock draft had him going second to the Cleveland Browns.

In his scouting report on Carter, B/R NFL scout Matt Holder didn't make a comparison but instead cited the Baltimore Ravens' Odafe Oweh as a parallel.

"This season, Penn State has often taken Carter off the field in run situations. While this can come with more time and experience on the edge, his block recognition isn't there yet, which is most noticeable against pullers," Holder wrote. "He'll often get caught staring in the backfield instead of keeping his eyes down the line of scrimmage when he's unblocked.

"Additionally, Carter lacks the strength to get extension and consistently hold his ground against offensive tackles in the running game.

"With that, he'd be best used as a pass-rush specialist to begin his career. 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."

Parsons had 13 sacks, 84 combined tackles and 20 tackles for a loss in 2021 with the Dallas Cowboys. He finished as the Defensive Rookie of the Year winner and the runner-up to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

That's setting an extremely high bar for Carter, but it sounds like people around the NFL think he can get there.