After three seasons with the Nittany Lions, Penn State football defensive end Abdul Carter is heading to the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24.

The Glenside, Pennsylvania, native came out of La Salle College as a four-star and the No. 28 linebacker, No. 10 player in Pennsylvania, and No. 287 player nationally, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Carter chose Penn State over South Carolina, Maryland, LSU, and Kentucky.

“Has size and college-ready frame with freakish athleticism. Has length and wide shoulders. Carries 235 pounds like it is 220,” 247Sports’ Brian Dohn said of Carter. “Offers position versatility at college level as linebacker, edge, or defensive end since frame can support 250 pounds. Burst and speed show with the ability to run in 4.5s in the 40-yard dash. Physical when attacking the ball carrier in space. Changes direction well.”

Dohn also predicted Carter would eventually make the shift to a hand-in-the-dirt defender and predicted that he would be a late-round NFL Draft choice.

Well, one of those predictions was right. After playing two seasons in Happy Valley as a linebacker, Carter made the switch to defensive end in a move to help his difference-making ability and the team.

In two seasons as a linebacker, Carter recorded 104 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and three forced fumbles. In 2024, the defensive end improved all of his numbers with 68 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

For his explosive season, Carter was rewarded with becoming Penn State’s 15th unanimous consensus All-American and won the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

“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,” Lance Zierlein wrote on NFL.com. “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.”

It is looking highly unlikely that Carter drops below the fourth pick, with the odds, per BetMGM, he is favored and -650 to land with New York at third overall. The Consensus Big Board agrees with the odds, placing the defensive end at third. He has never dropped below four on that platform.

In terms of potential negatives, only two things have come up during the draft process. The first is Carter’s ability in the run game. Some analysts think that the 6’3″ and 250-pounder is a little too small to fill the gaps at the professional level.

“Carter lacks the strength to get extension and consistently hold his ground against offensive tackles in the running game,” according to Bleacher Report. “However, he did improve in this area toward the end of the 2024 season and has room for growth on his frame to pack on some muscle.”

Recently, some have also claimed that Abdul Carter has character concerns. The claim is that the defensive linemen lack humility, which has caused controversy on whether that’s a positive or negative.

“The reality is, a lot of those guys are different. Myles Garrett is a very different guy, maybe one of the best five players at any position in the NFL,” Albert Breer said. “Micah Parsons isn’t all that well-liked in the Cowboys building. T.J. Watt is very into himself. With every single one of them, there’s something, and I don’t know why it’s specific to that position, but that’s what you get.”

The Nittany Lion was invited to the NFL Combine and attended Penn State’s Pro Day, but did not work out at either. This was in large part due to a stress fracture in his right foot discovered at the NFL Combine and his shoulder injury from the end of the season.

Regardless, Carter supported his teammates and took time with the media. He told reporters he had plans to meet with the top-four teams in the draft: the Titans, Browns, Giants, and Patriots.

Reports came out the day before Penn State’s Pro Day that Carter went to dinner with Browns executives. A few weeks later, the Nittany Lion had breakfast with Giants head coach Brian Daboll.

To see where Carter and the rest of the Nittany Lions land, tune in to the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, through Saturday, April 26. All seven rounds will be televised on ESPN and the NFL Network.