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Since 1967’s common draft era began, 58 players have heard their names called first overall. Quarterbacks dominate this exclusive club, accounting for 28 selections — nearly half the total. The Panthers grabbed Bryce Young in 2023, while the Bears followed by taking Caleb Williams last year.
QBs have practically owned the top spot recently. Since 2014, eight of 11 first overall picks have been signal-callers. Only three edge defenders managed to break through that QB stranglehold — Jadeveon Clowney (Texans, 2014), Myles Garrett (Browns, 2017), and Georgia standout Travon Walker (Jaguars) in 2022.
Penn State wrecking ball Abdul Carter believes he’ll be next to crash the quarterback party at the top.
Penn State’s defensive terror making his case
Carter isn’t being subtle about his draft ambitions. Coming off a monster season where he terrorized opposing backfields with 68 tackles (including 24 for losses), 12 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles, the Penn State star isn’t hiding his confidence.
# 1 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑷𝑰𝑪𝑲, 30 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚…♾️
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) March 24, 2025
𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒂𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉
𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕝𝕖𝕥 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 ℚB 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕗𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕝. 𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕠’𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕤𝕥, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕟𝕠 ℚB 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥…
He’s been eyeing the top spot for months. Back in February, Carter didn’t mince words about his goal, calling it “the ultimate goal” to be the first player selected on April 24. His game certainly backs up the talk, according to Lance Zierlein at NFL.com.
“Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match.
“He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.”
The timing couldn’t be better for an elite pass rusher.
The Tennessee Titans desperately need help getting after opposing QBs. They managed just 32 sacks last season — tied for third-worst in the NFL. That problem got even bigger when they released Harold Landry III, who accounted for nine of those sacks.
But will Tennessee actually pass on a quarterback? The team could still be tempted by Miami’s rising star Cam Ward, who’s seen his stock soar during the pre-draft process. With 29 days until the draft, the speculation is just heating up.
