Penn State standout pass rusher Abdul Carter was able to avoid an injury scare and will not require surgery on his foot, according to informed sources who spoke to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Less than 24 hours before this news broke, testing conducted at the NFL Scouting Combine showed that Carter is currently dealing with a stress reaction in his right foot, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
With surgery off the table, Carter is expected to participate in Penn State’s pro day workout scheduled for March 28th, Rosenhaus told ESPN.
“I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he’s drafted,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “He will put on a show at his pro day.”
Doctors told Penn St. DE and projected No. 1 pick Abdul Carter that, after further scans on his right foot, surgery is not advisable. Carter will work out at his March 28 pro day at Penn State.
“I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he’s drafted,”… pic.twitter.com/pHTkIzDcWM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2025
There seems to be a consensus amongst NFL analysts that Carter is the best prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is the number-one ranked prospect on ESPN. He is also the number-one-rated prospect on the big board of NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah.
A three-year starter at Penn State, Carter finished the 2024-25 season with the seventh-most sacks in the country (12.0). He also made a name for himself in the College Football Playoff, where he recorded eight total tackles and two sacks in just two games.
Carter just avoided millions of dollars in losses
The NFL Draft and the NFL Scouting Combine are unforgiving to those who have suffered injuries at one point or another during their college career.
Former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington was seen as a potential first- or second-round pick coming out of college. However, concerns over a knee injury caused him to drop to the third round, where he was snatched up by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coming out of UCLA, Myles Jack was viewed as a first-rounder, but a knee injury caused him to declare for the 2016 NFL draft early. Instead of being taken in the first round, he was selected in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
#UCLA‘s Myles Jack receives good news on rehabbed knee ahead of pro day (via @RapSheet)
–> https://t.co/zcrBQbuSxF pic.twitter.com/aX4Xv1Kakj
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) March 10, 2016
Perhaps the most famous case of injuries hurting a player’s draft stock came in 2011. Clemson defensive end Da’Quon Bowers was viewed as a potential number-one overall pick in that draft, but after undergoing off-season knee surgery, he went from possibly being the first overall pick in the draft to being the 51st overall pick.
I have no doubt that Abdul Carter still would have been a first-round selection, even with his foot surgery. However, he could’ve potentially slid out of the top five, which would have cost him millions.
Just look at the 2024 NFL Draft. The difference between the first overall pick and the second overall pick was $1.8 million, according to Sportico. When you compare the first-overall pick (Caleb Williams) to the fifth-overall pick (Joe Alt), Williams was paid $6.3 million more than Alt.
With this bill of relatively clean health and no surgery needed on his foot, Carter is still in play to be the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, the Tennesse Titans, who own the first overall pick in the draft, were tied with the Carolina Panthers as the 30th-ranked pass-rushing team in the NFL with 32 sacks last season.
