Abdul Carter 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Profile

The Chicago Bears will be looking for some additional help through the 2025 NFL Draft. Abdul Carter would be an ideal addition to their defensive line. But the biggest question is, would Carter be around when the Chicago Bears make their selection at number ten in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft? He probably won’t be, but when draft day comes, all bets are off, and everything is on the table.

It’s entirely possible that Carter is there at No. 10 and the Bears could grab him.

Who Is the Player?

Abdul Carter is a former Penn State edge rusher who decided to leave school before his senior season thus entering the NFL Draft pool. He had every reason to put his name in the hat for the draft. He had a remarkable junior season with the Nittany Lions and proved himself to be one of the top defenders in all of college football.
>Carter was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year along with many other accolades that cemented him as the best defender in the nation. He’s a generational player that will have a huge impact in the NFL if he gets into the right situation.

There is an issue with Carter that must be considered before anyone drafts him. He reportedly has what’s called a stress reaction in his foot and he had two options. One was to have surgery on it and take longer to get back into shape or rest it and hope that it heals. Carter decided not to do surgery and is waiting for his foot to heal.

Measurables

As a result of Carter’s foot injury, he has not participated in the NFL Scouting Combine workouts. He would likely be ready to start doing some workouts after the 2025 NFL Draft concludes. Knowing this, could teams decide not to roll the dice on Carter till later in the draft? This means he might slip down to the Bears at number ten.

What we do know about Carter is that he is 6’3” and weighs 250 pounds. NFL Draft Buzz has Carter’s 40 time at a stellar 4.48 seconds. If that holds up and he’s able to carry that speed over into the NFL, he’s going to be electric.
During his final season at Penn State, Carter excelled. He had a whopping 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 68 total tackles. What’s even more amazing is that he had 24 tackles for loss in 2024.

Pros

As mentioned, speed is Carter’s forte, and he can get up the field in a hurry. This is going to be huge for any team that drafts him. Not only can he get up the field fast he also has a bevy of moves that allow him to beat the blocker and get to the quarterback. Carter is one of the best athletes in the 2025 NFL Draft and might be the best athlete on the defensive side of the ball.

Carter can get off the line quickly with an explosion that isn’t seen often. His close-quarters tackling is top-notch, and he tackles driving through the ball carrier to ensure that they don’t slip by and gain extra yardage. Carter is a tough guy as well having played through injury and played well. He’s a technician who gets through blockers with seeming ease and does all the things that you want in a good pass rusher.

Cons

Of course, his foot injury bears watching for any team that’s considering drafting him. It doesn’t look like the injury is going to cut into his first season in the league, at least right now. But if it does, it’s going to make selecting him a disappointment. Hopefully, he will be able to overcome this injury and thrive in the NFL.

There are other, smaller things that Carter could end up working on to get even better as an NFL player. Some feel that Carter might need to get a bit stronger, which wouldn’t hurt him at all. Some consider him to be a little bit small and fear that he will get eaten up by larger offensive tackles. Stronger players will push him around and knock him off course on his way to the quarterback. A little legal trouble back about a year ago is also of some concern but it hasn’t seemingly affected him that much on the field or off.

Couple all that with needing a little bit of work with his hands and keeping his pad level lower when rushing up the field. Carter could use some more work tackling in space and work on a smarter way to get to the quarterback at times.

Why He Could Fit with the Chicago Bears

If Carter fell to the Bears, it would likely be a miracle. If he drops to number ten in the first round, the Bears should snap him up immediately. They should hardly be able to contain their excitement running to the podium to turn the card in with his name on it. But he will likely be gone by the time the Bears make their pick.

However, if he were to fall to Chicago and end up recovering from his foot injury, he would be a force. He might end up being the best edge rusher in the NFC. He’s certainly going to be one of the best in the NFL, perhaps right out of the gate.

But his chances of landing with the Bears are slim to none.

Final Words

The Chicago Bears could use some help at the edges even with Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo on the edges. Look for them to try to get some help on the edge in the later rounds of the draft. They could do this in the second or third rounds. They are going to want to get some younger talent there to help them reach the quarterback. Abdul Carter would certainly be ideal, and he would be a dream come true for sure. But for the Bears, he will remain just that.

A dream.