5 defenses the Penn State star would make unstoppable

One of the biggest reasons the Penn State Nittany Lions are an incredibly dangerous No. 6 seed in the 12-team College Football Playoff is the star athlete they have in the middle of their defense: Abdul Carter. He’s the next Micah Parsons, Paul Posluszny or LaVar Arrington in every way. ST1X C1TY is actually a location, and Carter is currently the mayor in Happy Valley. He is so absolutely electrifying.

Carter may have more important things on his mind right now than entering the 2025 NFL Draft, but it certainly beckons. After the Nittany Lions’ first-ever playoff win over SMU, Penn State has up to three more games left before this season is over. Given that they are on the easier side of the group, who can say that Carter can’t leave State College as national champions this year?

Although he could return to school for another season, Carter’s talent is simply too undeniable for him to stay in college for another year. He’s well on his way to breaking into the top 12, possibly with a chance of cracking the top 5. Look for him to fall off the board in the No. 6 to No. 12 range in the upcoming draft if he declares this. In every respect it is a cornerstone for building a defense.

Here are five NFL teams that couldn’t wait to make Carter a vibrant part of their team.

The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a very precarious position heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s a certainty that they’ll finish in the top 10, but their draft positioning could fluctuate until the final week of the season. While Cleveland needs an upgrade at starting quarterback, can they really afford to have another first-rounder and Deshaun Watson on the same payroll? I doubt that.

Realistically, I think the Browns’ top-five pick is about as high as Carter could come off the draft board. Obviously, the Browns would have to return from something like No. 3 if he were their most valuable gem on draft boards. He’s a great player, but I wonder if it’s as seamless a fit as it seems at first glance. Cleveland has plenty of other issues to address this spring.

If the Browns were to select something like No. 7 overall, I can imagine them taking Carter with the selection.

The New York Jets are the epitome of how to continually keep a franchise on the ground in a league characterized by parity. I’m not sure what the long-term plans are for Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, so I think they could try to sign his replacement this spring as well. For my money, I think Gang Green is one of the best defensive players available in the 2025 NFL Draft. If available, it could be Carter.

Right now, I feel like other Power Four stars like Michigan’s Mason Graham or possibly Georgia’s Mykel Williams might be a better fit for what they’re trying to do now. However, if the Jets are at No. 8 and Carter is still available, don’t think too much about the space and just draft the guy. Carter has the potential to lead an NFL defense for a decade. The Jets would be lucky to have him.

The Jets will have plenty of options to find a star in the defensive front seven, so it could be Carter.

If there’s one thing the Chicago Bears can do well, it’s recruiting and developing star defensive players coming out of college football. Figuring out the offensive side of the ball might as well be the moon for them, but the Bears have a proven track record on defense, particularly in the defensive front seven. Going forward, Carter would be a plug-and-play superstar in every way.

No matter who takes over for Matt Eberflus full-time, he should be able to achieve great success with Carter as part of his team. I hope for everyone on the team that Ryan Poles is gone and Kevin Warren is taking with him. Regardless, I suspect Chicago will prioritize and make offensive attacks to keep Caleb Williams current with their sure-fire top-10 pick. Carter would be a bargain for them, but I get it.

The Bears have a lot of holes on their roster, but I would be shocked if they didn’t step up on offense.

We can only hope whoever runs the Jacksonville Jaguars prioritizes defense in the 2025 NFL Draft. They could be considered for any star defensive player at any level. This could be the team that ends up taking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson or Colorado’s Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacksonville stops Carter’s slightest fall on the draft board.

Since Jacksonville doesn’t appear to be ready to move on from starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence, getting another cornerstone on the other side of the ball will serve the franchise to re-strengthen the defense. Whenever Jacksonville is even a little bit good, they have guys on that side of the ball. Carter is the epitome of a guy. He could become one of their best players in franchise history.

I’m more on the side of a corner or defensive tackle here than an edge rusher, but beggars can’t choose.

This is so obvious. The Carolina Panthers will finish well in the top 10. They don’t need a quarterback as Bryce Young is finally playing at the level he has been after being briefly benched by Dave Canales midway through the season. Since their new general manager Dan Morgan was a former star linebacker himself during his playing days, it seems impossible for Carolina to pass up Carter.

Every time the Panthers achieved championship quality in their short history, they had an all-time record on defense. From late legends Kevin Greene and Sam Mills to Julius Peppers and Thomas Davis to Luke Kuechly, this is the Panthers’ standard. I would hope Morgan and Co. would read the message in the tea leaves and pick Carolina’s next all-time defender.

The only thing that wouldn’t make this a picturesque result would be possible draft positioning.