Abdul Carter, the dominant Penn State edge rusher and potential No. 1 overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft, has suffered a stress reaction in his right foot, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
“There are mixed opinions on whether he needs surgery and we will figure that out in the near future,” Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said.
Schefter later added on X his two options: He could have “pre-emptive” surgery, which would insert a screw into his right foot and be expected back in eight weeks. The second option is to delay the surgery, participate in his Pro Day activities, and prove to the NFL that he deserves to be the first overall pick. Carter put everything that he needed to prove on tape with his 12-sack and 24-tackle-for-loss season with Penn State.
If he elects to bypass the surgery, he could slide in the draft due to the possibility of him re-injuring his foot. Now, considering he’s still a generational talent, he may not slide at all, but if he does, it probably won’t be more than a few picks.
The New York Giants have the No. 3 selection, and the wrong decision for Carter could hurt his draft stock, but help the Giants’ brass with a potential All-Pro falling into their laps. It’s still unlikely he falls all the way to the New York Jets at No. 7, but crazier things have happened in the NFL Draft.
Schefter later added on X that Carter, his family, and his agents spent Wednesday meeting with doctors to gather more information and a decision will be made this week.
“Either way, worst case scenario, we don’t expect this to impact where he is drafted,” Rosenhaus said. “After visiting with teams this week, I believe he’s going to be the No. 1 overall pick.”
