Joel Klatt: Abdul Carter could have bigger impact than Micah Parsons on NFL

At long last, NFL Draft week is upon us. While Draft experts are locking in their final projections ahead of Thursday night’s first round, FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt is looking ahead to the ripple effect that Penn State football star Abdul Carter could create in the league.

While discussing his final mock draft on Monday’s edition of the Joel Klatt Show, the Big Noon Kickoff host explained why he believes Carter could have a bigger impact on the NFL than another famous Nittany Lion who donned the blue and white sticks: Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons.

“This guy is phenomenal,” Klatt said of Carter. “I think that he can have an even bigger impact than Micah Parsons in the National Football League, partly because he’s a bit longer and he’s more raw on the edge. He can go back and play the second level. He can go to the edge. He really only played out there one year, and he was a monster. Whether it was playing Ohio State, playing Notre Dame in the playoff. I mean, every single game, the opposition would have to game plan for No. 11. Explosive get off, and just a game wrecker.”

Abdul Carter could make a bigger impact than Micah Parsons in the NFL 👀

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— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) April 21, 2025

Carter will have a high bar to reach in his Penn State predecessor. The 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time first-team All-Pro, Parsons has put up double-digit sacks in each of his four seasons at the professional level.

Where does Klatt have Penn State football’s stars going in the NFL Draft?

Penn State football tight end Tyler Warren. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Abdul Carter is not the only first-round worthy prospect that Penn State football is sending to this year’s NFL Draft. Standout tight end Tyler Warren also hopes to hear his name early when Thursday’s first round kicks off in Green Bay.

In his final mock draft, Klatt has Carter and Warren both coming off the board within the first 15 picks of the Draft. Ultimately, Klatt sees Carter getting selected No. 3 overall to the New York Giants. He then has Warren going No. 14 to the Indianapolis Colts.

If Klatt’s predictions come to fruition, it would be somewhat of a disappointment to the Nittany Lions, who are looking to have a pair of top-10 Draft picks for the first time in a quarter century. The last time Penn State football had multiple players selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft was 2000, when Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington went first and second overall, respectively.

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