Abdul Carter NFL Draft stock: 5 defenses the Penn State star would make unstoppable

One of the biggest reasons why the Penn State Nittany Lions are an incredibly dangerous No. 6 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff is the elite athlete they have in the middle of their defense in Abdul Carter. He is every bit the next Micah Parsons, Paul Posluszny or LaVar Arrington. ST1X C1TY is indeed a place, and Carter is the mayor of it right now in Happy Valley. He is so utterly electrifying.

Carter may have more important things on his mind right now than entering the 2025 NFL Draft, but it certainly beckons. Fresh off the Nittany Lions' first-ever playoff win over SMU, Penn State has up to three more games on the horizon before this season is finished. Given that they are on the easier side of the bracket, who is to say that Carter cannot leave State College as a national champion this year?

Although he could return to school for another season, Carter's talent is simply too undeniable for him to stay in college for one more year. He is a lock to be a top-12 pick, possibly with an outside shot of cracking the top five. Look for him to be coming off the board in the No. 6 to No. 12 range in the upcoming draft should he declare. He is every bit a cornerstone piece to build a defense around.

Here are five NFL teams who could be chomping at the bit to make Carter a vibrant part of their team.

5. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are in a very precarious spot when it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft. They are locked to be picking inside of the top 10, but could see their draft positioning fluctuate heading into the final week of the season. While Cleveland does need an upgrade at starting quarterback, can they really afford to have another first-rounder and Deshaun Watson on the same payroll? I question that.

Realistically speaking, I think the Browns picking inside the top five is about as high as Carter could be coming off the draft board. Obviously, the Browns would have to trade back from something like No. 3 if he was their prized jewel on the draft boards. He is a tremendous player, but I wonder if this is as seamless of a fit as it looks upon first glance. Cleveland has many other issues to solve this spring.

If the Browns were picking at something like No. 7 overall, I can see them taking Carter with the pick.

4. New York Jets

The New York Jets are the epitome of how to continually keep a franchise in the ground in a league driven by parity. I am not sure what the long-term plans are for Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, so I think they could look to draft his successor this spring as well. For my money, I think Gang Green goes with the best defensive player available in the 2025 NFL Draft. If available, it might be Carter.

Right now, I feel that other Power Four stars like Mason Graham out of Michigan or potentially Mykel Williams out of Georgia might be the better fit for what they are trying to do now. However, if the Jets are on the clock at No. 8 and Carter is still available, do not overthink the room and just draft the guy. Carter has the potential to carry an NFL defense for a decade. The Jets would be lucky to have him.

The Jets will have plenty of options to find a star in the defensive front-seven, so it could be Carter.

3. Chicago Bears

If the Chicago Bears know how to do anything well, it is to draft and develop star defensive players coming out of college football. Figuring out the offensive side of the ball might as well be the moon to them, but the Bears have a proven track record of excellence on defense, particularly in the defensive front seven. Carter would be every bit the plug-and-play type of superstar for them moving forward.

No matter who takes over for Matt Eberflus full-time should be able to have great success with Carter as part of their team. I hope for everyone on the team's sake that Ryan Poles is gone and he takes Kevin Warren with him. Regardless, I sense Chicago may prioritize and offensive tackle to help keep Caleb Williams upright with their certain top-10 pick. Carter would be a steal for them, but I do get it.

The Bears have a lot of holes on their roster, but I would be shocked if they do not go offensive tackle.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

We can only hope that whoever is running the Jacksonville Jaguars prioritizes defense in the 2025 NFL Draft. They could be in line for any star defensive player at any level. This might be the team that ends up taking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson or Colorado's Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, but I would not be surprised if Jacksonville stops Carter's slightest fall down the draft board.

Since Jacksonville does not seem ready just yet to move on from starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, it serves the franchise to get another cornerstone on the other side of the ball to help re-solidify the defense. Any time Jacksonville is the least bit good they have dudes on that side of the ball. Carter is the epitome of a dude. He could become one of their best players in franchise history.

I do side with corner or defensive tackle over an edge rusher here, but beggars cannot be choosers.

1. Carolina Panthers

This is so obvious. The Carolina Panthers will be picking well inside of the top 10. They do not need a quarterback with Bryce Young finally playing up to standard after briefly getting benched by Dave Canales mid-season. With their new general manager Dan Morgan being a former star linebacker himself back in his playing days, it feels like it is going to be impossible for Carolina to pass on Carter.

Anytime the Panthers have been championship-caliber in their brief history, they have had an all-timer on the defense. From the late legends of Kevin Greene and Sam Mills, to Julius Peppers, to Thomas Davis, to Luke Kuechly, this is the Panthers standard. I would hope that Morgan and company would read the message in the tea leaves to go ahead and select Carolina's next all-time defender.

The only thing that would not make this a picturesque fit would have to be potential draft positioning.