Abdul Carter is almost certainly going to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He's the top edge rusher on most team's boards, which makes him quite a valuable first-round selection. Unfortunately for the former Penn State star, he's giving up one of his last chances to establish himself as the top prospect in this year's draft class.
The talented pass-rusher's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently told ESPN's Adam Schefter that his high-profile client will not be working out at Penn State's Pro Day this week. The alleged reason is that Carter is still recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered against Boise State in this year's College Football Playoff. Rosenhaus suggests that Carter should be back to full health sometime during the middle of April.
Abdul Carter plays it safe with Penn State Pro Day decision
It is possible that Carter's shoulder is still not 100%. It's also possible that Rosenhaus does not want to expose his client to more scrutiny this close to the draft. Their camp may believe that Carter's current status as a top-five pick is the best he can do based on his athletic profile.
The flipside to that coin is that Carter no longer has a real opportunity to move past the likes of Cam Ward and Travis Hunter to be the No. 1 overall pick. The odds were stacked against him making that move after his Pro Day, but elite testing might have convinced a few teams that he is a generational edge talent. Any team that viewed Carter as the next Micah Parsons could have been tempted to grab him with one of the top three picks in this year's draft.
Ultimately, Carter's decision is unlikely to drastically impact his draft stock. It still might give teams at the top of the draft pause before spending such a valuable pick on his services. NFL decision-makers naturally gravitate towards players who like to compete. Carter's choice not to do so at his own Pro Day won't endear him to scouts around football.