INDIANAPOLIS — Abdul Carter has long manifested his destiny. He knew how good he was going to become, how hard he would work and how he’d achieve his dreams. Carter let his Penn State teammates hear it ahead of his first workout three years ago. Since then, rep by rep and play by play, Carter’s visions have taken form. He’s backed up every claim with substance.
Carter started his college career with a violent targeting call, an ejection on his first snap. He concluded it with one healthy arm in an Orange Bowl he knows he very well could’ve sat out. But that wasn’t an option for Carter. He’s still only 90% healthy over a month later and won’t participate in drills at the NFL Scouting Combine. But that should hardly matter.
The next sequence of the Abdul Carter story, more or less, began on Wednesday, in front of a packed crowd of reporters at the Indiana Convention Center. That was when he flipped the page on his tenure with the Nittany Lions and made his next proclamation. It’s something he’s had on his mind since last offseason. And, now, it’s becoming real.
“I feel like I’m the best player in the country and the best player should be selected No. 1,” Carter said.
The NFL Draft is two months away. The Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Brown hold the top two picks, respectively. And Carter can only control what he can. He’ll rest up his shoulder this week and continue recovering and training before putting a workout on display at Penn State’s Pro Day on March 28. But it’s unlikely those drills will be the deciding factor in wooing the Titans and Browns.
Carter’s film speaks for itself. He’s athletic and powerful and tenacious. He’s a natural linebacker who grew into an All-American defensive end in just one season. In many ways, he’s a unicorn, capable of effectively rushing the quarterback while also possessing a comfortable ability to spy and, at times, drop into coverage.
“He’s a tough, physical, rare athlete with outstanding speed,” Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said of Carter on Tuesday. “He’s special in his own regard that he can play off the ball, he can rush the passer. He’s an excellent prospect.”
The only player likely standing in Carter’s way of becoming the Nittany Lions’ first top overall draft selection since 2000 is Miami (FL) quarterback Cam Ward. If the Titans want a quarterback, Ward appears to be the favorite. If they choose to go in another direction, it’d be challenging for Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi to find a defensive staple quite like Carter.
This scenario, in which Carter is viewed as second fiddle to quarterbacks or other offensive players, is nothing new. In his opinion, he and other elite defensive players have been disrespected, especially as it pertains to national awards such as the Heisman Trophy. He was outspoken about this during the season and, ahead of the draft, has continued his fight.
“Defensive players impact the game just as much as the quarterback,” Carter said. “I feel like me, myself, and all the best players in the country, need to just start speaking out about that more because we’re just as important to the game as the best quarterbacks.”
Micah Parsons, another former Nittany Lion edge rusher who has served as a key mentor for Carter, would likely agree with this sentiment. That’s given the fact that the four quarterbacks selected ahead of Parson in 2021 have hardly scratched the surface of what Parsons has accomplished in four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Parsons was one of the first people Carter notified last offseason about his pursuit to become the No. 1 overall pick. Since then, the pair have trained together and kept in touch often. Carter has also been in contact with Courtney Brown, the last Penn State player selected first in the NFL Draft. Brown recently sent Carter a simple message that was taken to heart.
“Just keep going and chase that No. 1,” Brown said.
And that’s exactly what Carter aims to do as April approaches. He’s met with the Titans, a meeting he said went accordingly. “They have the No. 1 pick. I want to be the No. 1 pick,” Carter put it plainly. At this moment, it’s really the only thing on his mind. When speaking with Carter, it almost appears to be a fact of when, rather than a question of if, he’ll be selected first.
But where does Carter’s confidence come from? Linebacker Kobe King got a taste of it on Carter’s first day in the facility, and it only grew. Carter wants opposing players to feel his greatness, and in football — a physical game — that’s possible. He’s simply obsessed with winning. Carter said if he had to decide on playing the Orange Bowl again, he’d “make the same choice.”
“I think his confidence just comes from his upbringing, it comes from his background, it comes from what type of player he is,” King said. “He’s a dominant player. He wants to get better every day. He wants to grow. He also wants to compete. And we saw that first day he came in. Great guy on the field, off the field. He really just wants to dominate and show everyone that he’s the best.”
The next vision in Carter’s mind shows him walking across the stage in Green Bay, having just been selected with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Yes, he plans to attend and live out the dream he’s long awaited. But Carter has more aspirations than just that. He doesn’t only want to be the best player in this year’s draft. He wants to guide a franchise to the promised land.
“I feel like you definitely need a franchise edge rusher,” Carter said. “If you look at all the great teams, all the reasons that won Super Bowls, that you have that one standout, great defensive player, and I feel like I’m that.”
