The 2025 NFL Draft is less than one month away. NFL teams are busy attending pro days and assembling their final big boards ahead of April 24th. One analyst recently heaped praise on one of the best players in the 2025 draft class.
Joel Klatt had nothing but good things to say about Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter during a recent episode of his podcast.
“Number one is Abdul Carter, the edge player Penn State. Abdul Carter is such a good player,” Klatt said on Tuesday. “Love watching him play. I actually called his very first game that he ever played at Penn State. I remember talking with James Franklin about Abdul Carter. He said ‘Yeah we gave No. 11 to this kid because we know he's going to be a great player' and then he turned out to be.”
One reason why Klatt is impressed with Carter was his ability to change positions heading into the 2024 season.
“He moved from linebacker to defensive end this last year and he did it so naturally,” Klatt continued. “In a lot of ways, it almost shocked me. Led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss. He was dominant against Notre Dame, and he wasn't even fully healthy.”
Klatt praised Carter as an ‘athletic freak' who will make whichever team that pick him much better on defense.
“Does have a bit of a foot issue right now, kind of a stress fracture deal, it's kept him from working out in this process. But trust me when I tell you he is an athletic freak,” Klatt concluded.
Abdul Carter met with the Browns before his Penn State pro day
Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after sacking Southern Methodist Mustangs quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) during the third quarter in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium
Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Related NewsArticle continues below
It is no secret that Abdul Carter will be one of the most coveted players in the 2025 NFL Draft. The only question now is where will he land?
Many NFL draft experts believe that Carter is likely to land with the Cleveland Browns, who hold the second overall pick.
The Browns clearly seem interested in Carter, especially after taking a good hard look at him ahead of his Penn State pro day.
ESPN's Adam Schefter noted on Friday that Carter had dinner before his pro day with a large contingent of Browns officials. Browns owner Jimmy Haslem was in attendance, as well as JW Johnson and general manager Andrew Berry.
Cleveland faces a difficult decision with their first-round pick. The Browns desperately need to find a new quarterback, especially with Deshaun Watson's status for 2025 a complete unknown.
However, Cleveland may not be able to pass up the opportunity to pair Myles Garrett with another incredible edge rusher like Abdul Carter.