With two months to go before the 2025 NFL Draft, a big red flag has emerged with top prospect Abdul Carter.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Wednesday that tests this week have revealed that the star defensive end Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot. Carter will now have to decide whether or not to have surgery before the draft in April, and he is expected to make that decision later this week, Schefter adds.
“There are mixed opinions on whether he needs surgery, and we will figure that out in the near future,” Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus was quoted as saying. “Either way, worst case scenario, we don’t expect this to impact where he is drafted.”
Rosenhaus also noted that Carter has two options here. First, Carter could have a pre-emptive surgery, get a screw inserted in his right foot, and be back in action in an anticipated eight weeks. Second, Carter could opt to bypass the surgery, do his Pro Day as scheduled, and prove to NFL teams that he does not need the surgery.
The 21-year-old Carter was a stud during his three seasons in college at Penn State and was named a unanimous All-American as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. At 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, Carter had 12.0 sacks and a Division I-leading 24 tackles for loss last season. Between his explosive play from the front seven and his personality to match, Carter had played himself into the conversation for a top-five draft pick (perhaps even No. 1 overall).
Just a couple of weeks ago, Carter sent a confident message to NFL teams via his social media page. But now he is dealing with a major injury concern ahead of the draft (though with still another two-and-a-half months to go before rookie minicamp even begins, it could end up being a manageable issue if addressed properly).
