Abdul Carter has said and done all the right things. Carter is built in the Myles Garrett mold, and is perhaps the best guarantee in this draft class on the defensive side of the ball. He will be a difference maker, and pressuring the opposing quarterback is an incredibly-important skill that is essential in the modern NFL.
Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot at the NFL Combine. Because of this, he will not participate in drills, which was likely unnecessary anyway. However, the medical testing, as well as team meetings, can be just as important. Carter plans to work out on his pro day, as doctors recommended he skip surgery altogether. Had Carter undergone surgery, he would've missed upwards of eight weeks, putting his pro day workout in jeopardy.
"I couldn't be more confident that this will be a nonfactor where he's drafted," Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Thursday. "He will put on a show at his pro day."
Abdul Carter's red flags shouldn't keep him from being No. 1 pick
Carter finished his 2024 season at Penn State with 12 sacks, though he fought through injuries for much of the College Football Playoff. He is rated at the top of most big boards, including No. 2 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s of ESPN.
"I feel like I'm the best player in the country and the best player should be picked first," Carter said. "It's the work I put in with my dad, who trained me, and all the sacrifices I made. I know I'm the best."
While Carter's injury shouldn't hinder him much at his pro day, it is something interested teams will inquire about before spending a top-10 pick on him. Should those tests go well, Carter will have nothing to worry about. If not, bad teams will find any way not to draft a good player, especially if that talent comes with red flags via a physical.
Could the Philadelphia Eagles trade up for Abdul Carter?
No team is rooting for injury, but anything that goes wrong for Carter – whether it be a poor workout or physical – works in their favor. Much like was the case for former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who fell to the Eagles at the latter end of the top-10 and turned into a star, Abdul would be an excellent addition to a Philadelphia pass rush that is already considered the best in the NFL.
Carter is a north Philadelphia native and grew up an Eagles fan. He has reportedly already spoken to the team, as Howie Roseman is doing his due diligence. Roseman's offseason philosophy was to not make promises to Eagles fans, as the team is sure to lose some talent from its Super Bowl LIX-winning roster. Replacing that talent either via the NFL Draft or free agency is the key.
"It may look different -- some of the moves that we may have to make here may not be what are necessarily on other peoples' minds," Roseman said, via PHLY. "It's probably not going to look like maybe the conventional wisdom thinks it should look. I would just ask our fans to just have patience throughout the offseason. The offseason doesn't stop in free agency. The offseason doesn't stop in the draft."
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it – for the Eagles to land Carter, they will have to mortgage their future picks and trade up. That's a scary proposition for any general manager, including someone as great as Roseman. But the longer Carter falls, the greater the possibility becomes.