Penn State DE Abdul Carter praises Titans, wants to be No. 1 pick

INDIANAPOLIS -- Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter wore an Eagles jersey to the Super Bowl for one final experience as a Philly fan with his dad, knowing his next stop via the NFL draft is unlikely to bring his dream of wearing that uniform to life.

Carter is not working out for NFL teams this week because of a shoulder injury he estimated was "90 percent" healed. But he's squarely in the conversation as one of the best prospects in the 2025 draft class after posting 12.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss for the Nittany Lions last season.

Carter said he gets his toughness from his Philadelphia roots where he grew up dreaming of working toward being the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

"I feel like it's very realistic," Carter said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I feel like I'm the best player in the country. The best player should be selected No. 1."

Carter said he kicked off interviews with NFL teams on Tuesday night and met with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel -- "all about his business" -- and the brass of the Tennessee Titans, who have the No. 1 pick.

"I'm impressed with them. They're impressed with me," Carter said. "They have the No. 1 pick. I want to be the top pick."

Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said Tuesday he would not pass on a generational talent. While Borgonzi said the first draft board of the process is set in Nashville, he wouldn't say which players earned priority seating.

"Abdul is a very good player," Borgonzi said. "I don't want to go into many evaluations of the players, but there are certainly some players at the top that fit that description of generational talent."

--Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media