EDGE Abdul Carter Prospect Deep Dive: What Exactly Has Led to His Dominance?

The significant change and development seen by Abdul Carter is not unseen but eye-catching, to say the least. Last year playing for Penn State, Carter was an Off-Ball Linebacker who struggled to tackle and get off blocks. He also didn’t seem to understand coverage well, but since moving to EGDE, Carter has been a menace in college football.

The reason he seemed to get any buzz at all heading into the year was simply his athletic ability. Carter is an athletic freak, and it makes sense that he struggled to play Linebacker at such a young age but then was able to thrive as an EDGE. EDGE is much less mentally driven compared to Linebackers, as EDGEs can rely on explosiveness and length to get to the QB.

His first game as an EDGE this year was rough, but as he eased into the season, he began grabbing the bull by its horns. That ended up being his only subpar-graded game by PFF. We’ll get into some minor gripes with Carter, but we’re talking about a potential top-five pick here.

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Abdul Carter’s Stats (per PFF)

Film Analysis

Abdul Carter pulls off his signature move in the clip above. The most impressive part about this play isn’t the dip n’ rip move as his get-off was sensational here. He’s able to get excellent leverage with his quick first step and finishes with terrific bend and power to pull off that move.

In this one, Carter explodes out of his stance and stutters like he’s hitting the outside then shoots back inside effortlessly while ripping away from the defender with his right hand.

One of the reasons Carter was so succesful this season is he had so many ways of beating you. Here, he fakes inside like he’s going on a stunt but then explodes back outside showing exceptional bend. When he put that slight fake stutter to the inside, notice how the Tackle begins to hesitate in his kickslide which allowed Carter to have room to hit the edge.

Grades

OVR Grade: 1-100

Abdul Carter’s Pros And Cons

Abdul Carter’s Bio

As an EDGE with elite athletic traits who’s dominated several games, what’s stopping him from doing the same in the pros? It’s a massive step up for Abdul Carter, but he proved he can quickly adapt and learn new skills already.

Pros

• Elite all around athlete with a sturdy frame. Made Bruce Feldman’s Athletic’s Freak List and could potentially crack the 4.4s at the combine.
• Shows flashes of lightning quick get-off on the line. When he’s prepared, few others time the snap as well as he does.
• Drastically improved his play strength from 2023 to 2024.
• Went from being a middling Linebacker to a dominant full time EDGE; shows quick learning skills and hard work ethic.
• While far from a Micah Parsons, he can play a similar role in the pros where he can moved around. Has experience pretty much everywhere in the front seven besides D-Tackle.
• One of the most lethal dip n’ rip moves I’ve seen in college.
• Natural bend is phenomenal and pairs well with his elite explosivenes; can with pure speed.
• Moments of dominance where he takes over games. Also passes the analytical test in every dimension.

Cons

• Appears to have just average arm length if not below average – just something not appealing for a potential top five pick.
• Still lacks experience at EDGE and needs to expand his pass rush tool belt.
• Moments of poor tackling, especially in his Linebacker days.

Combine (TBD)

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Pro Day (TBD)

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All-22 Exposures

• Iowa, 2023
• Michigan, 2023
• West Virginia, 2024
• Ohio State, 2024
• Maryland, 2024

Best Landing Spots for Abdul Carter

• NO Saints
• NE Patriots

Conclusion on Abdul Carter

While there are things you can nitpick and overanalyze about Abdul Carter, at the end of the day, he has what it takes to be elite in this league. It’s not like he’s some boom or bust prospect either. He’s entering the league with a decent floor as he has a dominant move he can rely on and isn’t a liability in run defense. I feel confident about him developing because he’s adapted to EDGE so far. It’s wild to think Penn State was using him as a Linebacker when he had all this upside as a pass rusher.

Why Carter is so dominant in college comes down to mainly just his get-off and bend. He consistently relies on his get-off to position himself to make moves and uses his bend to execute the moves.

Carter still needs to learn much more but I feel good about my chances with drafting him high. In fact, I’d even strongly consider him with the first overall pick. He may not be as freaky as a Travon Walker or as refined as an Aidan Hutchinson but he’s somewhere in between those guys. Those are the kind of players I lean towards in the draft as you get both security with the pick and the hope he can one day be elite.

Value – 1st EDGE/ Top Five