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New mock draft has Patriots taking top prospect with injury concerns at No. 4
"If he’s healthy, Carter has a chance to be the best pro in this class. Foot injuries are very scary, however.”
The Patriots’ most pressing needs ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft revolve around help at both offensive tackle and wide receiver.
But a new mock draft submitted by The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner has New England opting for another blue-chip defensive player — one whose stock, as Baumgardner notes, might be falling due to injury woes.
Baumgardner projects that the Patriots will select Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 4 pick, giving an already strong defensive line featuring Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Keion White another top talent to work with.
While several mock drafts have tabbed both Carter and WR/CB Travis Hunter as arguably the two most talented prospects in this draft class, Baumgardner believes that Carter will slip a bit on draft day, with Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham standing as the first defensive player off the board at No. 3 to the Giants.
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Baumgardner has the Titans selecting Miami QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick, while Hunter goes to the Browns with the No. 2 pick.
“Carter’s foot situation certainly complicates matters, though I wouldn’t rule him out as a top-three selection here,” Baumgardner wrote. “If he’s healthy, Carter has a chance to be the best pro in this class. Foot injuries are very scary, however.”
There’s no denying Carter’s talent, with the former Penn State star making life miserable for opposing QBs and offensive linemen last season. The 6-foot-3, 259-pound edge rusher recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss over 16 games in 2024, and would be a welcome addition to a New England defense that finished last in the league in sacks last year (28).
But Carter’s foot ailment is worth monitoring, especially if saps some of his initial burst and acceleration used to slip past the line of scrimmage and the resistance in place.
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During the NFL Scouting Combine, testing revealed that Carter had a stress fracture in his foot — an ailment that ultimately did not require surgery this offseason.
But Carter had another red flag pop up during Penn State’s pro day. Despite initially hoping participate in the event, Carter did not take part in any on-field drills while recovering from an arm/shoulder injury that suffered during the College Football Playoff.
Those concerns aside, Carter still has the potential to be a game-wrecking presence in New England’s defense for years to come.
“I think just my overall impact on the game,” Carter told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor of his reasoning for being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. “My versatility. I can play multiple positions, and I feel like most importantly I step up when I’m needed the most when crunch time comes around. When you need somebody to make that big play, I feel like I’m the guy who makes that big play.
“At the end of the day, I make people around me better, just take them on double-teams bringing extra attention to me, freeing up somebody else so they can make the play and just my overall impact on the game.”
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While a potentially elite wide receiver like Hunter would likely address a more immediate need for New England’s roster immediately, the writing seems to be on the wall that Hunter isn’t slipping past Cleveland at No. 2.
“The latest intel now is that I believe Travis Hunter is the more likely pick at [No.] 2, today, a couple of weeks out of the NFL draft, for a couple of different reasons,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on his podcast Monday. “I think the Cleveland Browns watched him on Friday at his pro day and they saw somebody that can move like nobody else.
“I think that going into that day, they view him as somebody they can play at wide receiver and I think sprinkle in at defensive back. So I think he could play two ways for them, but I think they may think of him more as a receiver than a cornerback.”
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