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After a phenomenal junior season that ended with a narrow loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, Penn State edge Abdul Carter has shot up draft boards to the very top. The comparison to Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons are natural, both because of their alma mater and because of their ultra-athletic pass-rushing ability.
BUt, there’s a bit of a hitch in the predraft plans for Abdul Carter, and it has nothing to do with the injured shoulder that caused him to miss much of the team’s quarterfinal win against Boise State. Instead, it’s a stress fracture in his foot, an injury that could mean surgery and potentially a bit of a slip in his draft stock.
Carter was phenomenal in his first year moving from box linebacker to more of an edge role. He had 12 sacks on the year, and was among the nation’s leaders in tackles for loss with 24. He shows elite bend, pursuit, and handfighting when rushing the passer, and is solid against the run despite not being very big for the position yet.
Teams were excited to watch him work out at the NFL Combine this weekend, but on Tuesday, he made it known that he wouldn’t be participating. Most thought it had to do with the upper-arm injury he suffered against Boise State, but that is not the case. Instead, it’s a stress fracture in his foot.
“Tests today revealed that potential No. 1 pick Abdul Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot and the Penn State standout will need to decide soon whether to have surgery, sources told ESPN.
‘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 Wednesdasy night in Indianapolis, site of the NFL’s annual scouting combine,” ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter said in a tweet.
As the tweet said, opinions differ on whether he needs surgery. If he has surgery, he would be out for eight weeks, thus eliminating the chance of him working out for NFL teams before the draft. Or, he could try to let it heal on its own and work out at Penn State’s Pro Day in late March.
Carter isn’t going to drop very much either way. But, this new injury could significantly lower his chances of going first-overall to the Tennessee Titans, and he was expected to test extremely well. This development is definitely going to shake up the NFL Draft world until the dust settles.