Abdul Carter States Case to Be No. 1 NFL Draft Pick, Cites 'Overall Impact' on Games

NFL Draft prospect Abdul Carter has his sales pitch ready.

The Penn State edge rusher stated his case for being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday at the Nittany Lions' Pro Day and touted his "overall impact" and versatility.

"I think just my overall impact on the game," Carter said, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "My versatility. I can play multiple positions, and I feel like most importantly I step up when I'm needed the most when crunch time comes around. When you need somebody to make that big play, I feel like I'm the guy who makes that big play."

Carter added that he helps other players get better opportunities by drawing extra attention as the focal point of opponents' game plans.

"At the end of the day, I make people around me better, just take them on double-teams bringing extra attention to me, freeing up somebody else so they can make the play and just my overall impact on the game," Carter said.

Carter is rated as the No. 2 overall player in the draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He just finished his third season at Penn State and had 68 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks while leading the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

He could step in quickly and be an impact edge rusher for the Tennessee Titans, who currently hold the No. 1 pick. They could elect to take him and give the defense a bona fide superstar, but Cam Ward is currently "tracking" to be the top choice in April, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Regardless, Carter will hear his name called in the opening stages of the draft—perhaps as early as No. 2 overall to the Cleveland Browns.

The 2025 NFL Draft is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.