The NFL Draft Combine begins Thursday, February 27 in Indianapolis, and Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter will be there, but like many other stars of the 2025 NFL Draft, he won’t be working out. Carter is firmly situated as one of the top picks this spring, but he’s not opting out of the drills in Indy because of worries about it affecting his draft stock, just his injured shoulder.
Carter injured his shoulder in Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and though he dominated the CFP semifinal against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl with eight quarterback pressures, he still hasn’t recovered from that injury.
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year essentially played with one arm in the Orange Bowl, swapping sides of the defensive line with Dani Dennis-Sutton to protect his injured left shoulder. Despite his limited experience along the defensive line after moving to defensive end from off-ball linebacker last offseason, Carter is a surefire top-5 draft pick, is the best edge rusher in the draft, and could be taken by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 1 overall selection.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated in his report, Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams letting them know that while Carter is not yet ready to participate in pre-draft workouts, he is cleared to resume training and will be good to go for his Pro Day in Happy Valley on March 28.
Carter isn’t the only potential top pick who will not be working out in Indy. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will also only be taking part in interviews with interested teams, though their decisions are not for health reasons as both are in more precarious spots with regard to their draft stock.
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