Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is one of the best players in the 2025 NFL Draft, a notion that he took a step further at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.
“I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and the best player should be selected No. 1,” Carter said, according to NFL.com.
Carter is in Indianapolis for the combine but isn’t working out, as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered late in the 2024 college football season. That said, Carter has penned a letter to NFL teams explaining how he has been cleared to resume training for Penn State Pro Day on March 28. Carter’s former teammate and another potential top-10 pick, tight end Tyler Warren — who totaled a Big Ten-high 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns last season, while also rushing for 218 yards and four touchdowns — also won’t work out this week.
Carter, an All-American, is coming off a standout junior season at Penn State, which reached the College Football Playoff semifinals. The defensive end totaled 12.0 sacks, a Big Ten-high 24 tackles for loss, four passes defended and 68 combined tackles, helping him earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors.
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There’s some debate about whether Carter, who’s 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, should be a defensive end or linebacker in the NFL. It doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Penn State star, though.
“Definitely defensive end or edge rusher, but I feel like I could play wherever my coaches need,” Carter said. “Wherever they feel the need, that’s where I’ll play. … I’ve never been too small for anything my whole life. It’s all about heart for me.”
The Tennessee Titans, whose new general manager (Mike Borgonzi) implied that they wouldn’t pass on a “generational talent,” have the No. 1 pick but also have a murky quarterback picture. After Tennessee, it’s the Cleveland Browns (No. 2) and New York Giants (No. 3), who also have unknown futures at quarterback.
Carter is in competition with Colorado two-way star and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Miami quarterback and Heisman finalist Cam Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to be the No. 1 pick.
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