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Abdul Carter injury update: Penn State star's agent reveals unfortunate news about upcoming Pro Day

by:Alex Byington•03/27/25•

_AlexByington

Abdul Carter
Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Former Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, who is vying to be the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s 2025 NFL Draft, will not participate in the Nittany Lions’ Pro Day on Friday while still rehabbing his ailing shoulder, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

“He is still finishing up rehab on the shoulder injury he had from the Boise State game,” Rosenhaus told ESPN insider Adam Schefter. “He may still do a workout for teams sometime in mid April.”

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter is widely considered the top defensive player in this year’s draft class after racking up 12 sacks, an NCAA-best 23.5 tackles for loss, 61 pressures, and 68 total tackles after making the successful transition from linebacker to full-time defensive end in 2024.

But Carter is confident he will end up as the first player to hear his name called on the first day of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24 from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Of course, that was before news he wouldn’t participate in Penn State’s Pro Day due to a lingering issue that might raise red flags with NFL teams.

And this isn’t even the only injury concern with Carter, who was reportedly weighing foot surgery to repair a stress reaction prior to the NFL Combine but ultimately opted against it, according to NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

Mel Kiper Jr. blasts Mike Tannenbaum for dropping Abdul Carter to No. 5 in latest mock

Mel Kiper Jr. couldn’t contain himself from calling out a decision in Mike Tannenbaum‘s latest NFL mock draft for ESPN. Tannenbaum had the New England Patriots passing up on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 4 overall pick.

Instead, he predicted the Patriots to take Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou. That lit a fire in Kiper on the draft special on ESPN2 on Tuesday, where he laid into Tannenbaum for the pick.

“I think if you’re the Patriots and you need that edge rusher and you’re getting the best or second-best player on your board, probably the best because the two quarterbacks go and Travis Hunter goes,” he said. “You can make an argument Abdul Carter is the best player on the board. We’re gonna get him at four as an edge rusher in a need area. You’re celebrating. Fireworks are going off in New England. But we’re passing on him for Membou?

“Now Jacksonville is celebrating because they get a guy who played off ball for two years and people forget that. Before he moved outside and was unleashed, he was off-ball making a ton of plays for the Nittany Lions. So great for Jacksonville, but for New England to pass on Carter, Mike, for this, Membou had to be one of your top two, three players on your board. Correct?”

— On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.