Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter, in contention for No. 1 overall pick honors, is projected to drop behind a star-studded group of prospects in the latest 2025 NFL mock draft. Carter (6-foot-3, 259 pounds) put together a stellar season for the Nittany Lions in 2024. The former four-star recruit and Philadelphia native led the country in tackles for loss (24) with 12 sacks in 16 games. The key question remaining is not regarding Carter’s skillset as a pass rusher. He showed enough on tape to garner a top selection. However, there is growing belief that Miami quarterback Cam Ward will come off the board first. That puts Carter in an interesting situation with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and New England Patriots left within the top-four selections. In a new mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL.com, Ward heads to the Titans at No. 1 overall with Sanders going to the Giants at No. 3. And the Browns’ second-overall pick is used on Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. This scenario would open the door for the Patriots and new head coach Mike Vrabel to take Carter with the No. 4 overall pick. Perennial power New England has won just eight games over the last two seasons under former head coaches Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
“Mike Vrabel already added pieces to the defensive front in free agency, but he can’t pass up one of the elite talents in the class,” Reuter wrote. The Patriots previously added EDGE Harold Landry and defensive lineman Milton Williams in the offseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise, though, if Vrabel and Co. take the best player available in Carter, assuming he makes it to that spot. The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.