Former Penn State DE Abdul Carter is on every list of top picks in the upcoming NFL draft. He comes with a shining college career and has also picked up some awards along the way. At the Combine last month, Carter boldly said, “I feel like I’m the best player in the country. And the best player should be selected at No. 1.” Well, it seems that he might have to back down from that claim. And it’s not his stats that are working against him. It’s a brush with the law that happened in the past.
Carter is easily anywhere in the Top 10 picks in the draft by a host of experts and commentators. He wanted to go to the Titans because, well, he says he’s the No. 1 player in the country. But the draft picks are always changing with time, and the odds have changed for Abdul Carter too. Analysts project the Titans will pick Cam Ward, the new favorite No. 1 pick. Carter, on the other hand, has dropped a few places below. ESPN regards him to be heading to the Patriots at No. 5. Another mock draft is putting him further below at No. 7 with the Jets.
His run-in with the law is not sitting right with the online community. Authorities charged the Nittany Lions star with a misdemeanor in 2024. He reportedly assaulted a tow truck driver, who was towing away Carter’s car for parking without a permit. Reports state that in his fit of rage, Carter broke the driver’s rib, seriously injuring him. Police records, however, also mention that Carter wanted to “be sure” that the victim wasn’t stealing his car, according to Central Daily Times. The driver also picked up a metal bar, according to the police, after which Carter assaulted him.
𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖?
Top 5 pick DE Abdul Carter was charged with assaulting a Tow Truck driver that was towing Carter’s car for parking without a permit.
He fractured the drivers rib in the process. pic.twitter.com/d5DBvnaAQc
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) March 18, 2025
Carter had to attend the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for a year. This allows for “non-violent” offenders who have no or limited history of offenses to have their charges dismissed upon completion. The court also directed Carter to attend online anger management classes. On paper, Carter has done his job. The incident was before his 2024 season, in which he played and produced some stellar stats. While no one doubts his prowess, fans are concerned about his character and anger issues.
Fans think Abdul Carter should not be in top draft picks
On X, fans think Carter does not deserve to be in the top picks because of this incident. His college football career has numbers that can dwarf the incident, but only to an extent. One fan went to the lengths of calling him a “terrible human being.” “The first 10 teams should pass on him. Definitely seems like he has some character issues,” the user added. Teams will be wary of taking in a player who has trouble containing his anger. But whether they’d pass on a player like Carter because of it seems doubtful.
Another user decided to spare the young man with a comparatively less stinging comment. The fan wrote, “O wow! He should not be a Top 3 Pick! 4th yes But not Top 3!” This user might be seeing things turning out this way because Carter is otherwise still placed amidst names like Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and ShedeurSanders for top-spot pick. Where he ends up is going to be an interesting story to follow.
A particular user has a penalty of their own as a rebuke for Carter. “as punishment we should send him to the Eagles with the 32nd pic[k].” Oof, that is harsh. But it might be a blessing in disguise for the DE. The Eagles will look for an edge rusher, and Carter is one of the best there is on the list. Another user also echoes this idea: “wow he’s such a horrible human, [I] think the first 28 teams should pass on him.” That would put Carter with the Detroit Lions, who are also looking to fill their edge rusher room.
One fan is decidedly mad at Abdul Carter. “What a f—— bum! Any team picking in the top 9 needs to stay away from him,” the user wrote. It will be a blow to Carter if he is picked anywhere below No. 5; that’s a given. It will be a sorry affair for a star athlete who proudly claimed the No. 1 pick for himself.
One fan identified a peculiar trend. “Dirty thug????? Not surprised[.] There’s typically a good pass rusher every draft that does something bad so the tradition continues[.] Not a top 9 pick,” they wrote. This user might have some truth to their words. Just last year, a DUI charge was filed against Raiders DE Janarius Robinson. In 2023, police arrested Dallas Cowboys DE Sam Williams twice for traffic incidents.
Abdul Carter is a player that most teams are vying for. But incidents like these also bring out a person’s character, which is not so openly displayed to the general audience. Shedeur Sanders, who was also projected to be the No. 1 pick, is also facing a downturn and criticism from fans because of a comment he made. However minor they may be, these instances are enough to tank a player’s prospects significantly.
Do you think Abdul Carter’s misdemeanor charge should be a serious factor for his prospects? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Abdul Carter’s Draft Stocks Take Massive Hit as Upsetting Charges Against Him Has NFL Community Talking appeared first on EssentiallySports.