Abdul Carter takes shot at QBs, says he’s deserving of being No. 1 pick in draft

Dating back to the start of the common draft in 1967, there have been a total of 58 first overall selections. Nearly half of those choices (28) have been quarterbacks. That includes Bryce Young by the Panthers in 2023, and Caleb Williams by the Bears a year ago.

Since 2014, eight of the 11 first overall choices have been quarterbacks, while the other three have been players that excelled at corralling those signal-callers. That’s Jadeveon Clowney (Texans) in 2014, Myles Garrett (Browns) in 2017, and three years ago, University of Georgia standout Travon Walker by the Jaguars in '22.

Penn State star defender Abdul Carter feels he should be the next name on that shorter list.

The former Nittany Lion is roaring these days

Off a season in which he totaled 68 tackles (24 for losses), 12.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles, Penn State’s Abdul Carter was pretty blunt earlier this week.

Back in late February, Carter expressed his desire to be the first overall pick on April 24, stating “that’s the ultimate goal.” He certainly has the makeup to excel, via Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.

“Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. 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. 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. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.”

The Tennessee Titans certainly have a need for an edge rusher. Their 32 sacks were tied for the third-fewest in the NFL in 2024. The team released Harold Landry III, who had nine of those QB traps. However, will the club pass up the chance to grab a quarterback, in particular Miami’s Cam Ward? There’s 29 more days of speculation ahead.