After a special junior season and a deep college football playoff run, Abdul Carter looks to be next in the line of elite NFL pass rushers out of Penn State. NFL teams will love the comparison made by former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, "He’s a lot like Micah (Parsons) in terms of what he can do in disrupting the game as a pass rusher." We'll deep dive Carter's background and prospect profile to see why he's garnering such lofty comparisons and review his potential fit on the Tennessee Titans.
Position | College | Year | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DE/OLB | Penn State | Junior | 6-3 | 252 lbs |
Background
Following a productive Pennsylvania high school football career, Carter was highly sought after by Big 10 and SEC conference colleges. The defender primarily played off-ball linebacker in high school and earned an All-American Bowl invite after recording 10 tackles for loss and being named team MVP his senior season. After ranking as a four star prospect and not being included in top 300 by ESPN's ranking, Carter decided to stay in-state and commit to Penn State.
Playing primarily as a hybrid off-ball linebacker in his first two seasons for the Nittany Lions, Carter made an immediate impact on campus. Despite only starting six games in his first season, the young defender led true freshman across the nation with 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss and earned Freshman All-American honors in the process. The Philadelphia native took on a full-time starting role in his sophomore season and was named first team All-Big Ten while being asked to rush the quarterback and drop into coverage.
Things clicked for Carter in his junior season with a move to a full-time edge rushing defensive end position along the line of scrimmage. The versatile defender led the FBS in tackles for loss (23.5) and finished seventh in sacks (12.0) helping him to win Big Ten defensive player of the year and becoming a consensus All-American in the process. With sacks in each of his team's two playoff games, Carter showed that he elevates in high-pressure situations. PFF graded the Penn State defender as the second best edge rusher in the FBS and tops among the power four conferences in 2024.
Strengths
The junior possesses elite speed and quickness to turn the corner and win around the edge. Carter uses high-end body control and bend to take sharp angles to the quarterback. Using a complete skillset that includes swims, rips, chops, and inside counters, the young pass rusher can throw blockers off balance given his multitude of ways to win at the point of attack.
Carter's time as an off-ball linebacker shows in his pursuit as he can quickly track down running backs in the running game or wide receivers on screens. Dropping into pass coverage and using his elite speed to run stunts in the pass and run game give the young edge defender elite versatility. Carter showed consistent improvement throughout his final season and was technically polished as an edge rusher despite limited reps, leaving room for even more upside as he continues at the position.
Weaknesses
The edge rusher has average size and doesn't play with elite strength against larger lineman in pass protection. Carter struggles at times diagnosing plays when he's lined up on the line of scrimmage. The junior's inexperience as an edge rusher shows with occasional inconsistency, but was bailed out by elite athleticism at the college level.
In the running game, Carter's size allows him to be moved off his anchor while his gap discipline can see him out of position at times. The former off-ball linebacker struggled with open-field tackling by missing 16 tackles during the 2023 season. The All-American doesn't also set a wide enough base when taking on blockers and can be pancaked in run coverage.
Fit with Titans
The Titans haven't used a first round pick on a defensive end or outside linebacker since Derrick Morgan back in 2010. Carter would be the most talented pass rusher drafted into the organization since the team selected Jevon Kearse over 25 years ago.
The outside linebacker room is thin for the Titans with only five players under contract heading into next season. Harold Landry is starting to creep up in age, just had his first full season with under 10.0 sacks since 2020, and could be a cap casualty this offseason. Arden Key is a solid depth piece, but could save the team $7 million if he's cut after June 1st. Khalid Duke, Ali Gaye, and rookie Jaylen Harrell haven't shown enough to be considered long-term building blocks.
During the 2024 season, the Titans ranked in the bottom five of the NFL in sacks, pass-rush win rate, and pressure rate. The top pass rushing prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft could come in and instantly be the atop the outside linebacker depth chart for the team. Carter was in the 99th percentile for pass-rush win rate during the 2024 season according to PFF. Carter's threat on the outside combined with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat clogging up the middle will make life easier for Landry, Key, or any other outside linebackers the team brings in.
Penn State played mostly out of 4-3 and 4-2-5 formations on defense last year, meaning Carter will have to transition positions to play 3-4 outside linebacker. This change would allow Carter's deficiencies in run coverage to be masked while allowing the star defender to highlight his pass rushing skills and occasionally drop into pass coverage. Landry ranked 5th among 211 edge defenders in 2024 with 878 snaps, I'd expect Carter to eat into that and have a huge workload instantly given the lack of additional options at the position.
With the strength of the Titans interior defensive front, Carter could push for double digit sacks in his rookie season while playing heavy snaps and adjusting to the size and speed of the NFL. Down the line, Carter should continue to be among the league's premier pass rushers and impact games with his elite ability to create pressure and draw defensive attention.
Summary
Drafting Carter would fill a massive need and provide some much needed youth for the Titans defense. The combination of speed, bend, and technical skills to beat pass blockers give the Penn State defender annual double digit sack upside. The Titans won't pass on a "generational talent" at pick one, according to President of Football Ops Chad Brinker, but we have yet to see if the team views Carter in that light. Regardless, the pass rusher is one of the few elite talents in this draft and would add a new element to the team's pass rush.
If the Titans don't fall in love with either of the top quarterbacks in the draft and can't trade down, then Carter makes a ton of sense to go first overall. Elite pass rushers don't come available via the free agent market and are incredibly expensive via trade. The Penn State product has the talent and plays a position that's among the most valuable in the sport. The Titans need to strongly consider drafting Carter whether that's with the top pick or further down the draft board.