2 Penn State Edge Rushers Among Top 2025 NFL Draft Prospects

Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton earn high grades in a 'loaded' draft class for defensive ends.

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton hits Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart during the Peach Bowl. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The 2025 NFL Draft class is "loaded" with edge rushers, according to one draft analysis site, and two Penn State Nittany Lions will be part of it.

Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton, two of the top names on Penn State's 2025 defense, rate highly among edge rushers for the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Ric Serritella's All Access Football. Carter lands at No. 4 overall on the list of top edge rushers, while Dennis-Sutton checks in at No. 11. Penn State is among four teams (with Georgia, Ohio State and Florida State) that landed two edge rushers in the top 12 of the preseason rankings. Which suggests that those teams will present formidable challenges up front this season.

Carter is among the more interesting names on the list. A first-team all-Big Ten linebacker last season, Carter shifted to defensive end for the 2024 campaign. Head coach James Franklin said Carter initiated the change, though the coaching staff recruited Carter with the concept in mind.

"I remember when we recruited Abdul. I thought he was a defensive end, and Abdul and [his] dad were adamant that he was a linebacker," Franklin said. The reality is, we just wanted him in our program and knew he was going to be a really good player wherever he decided to play. But this wasn't really something from us. This was Abdul really wanting to make this move I think for a number of reasons, and we're excited about it."

All Access Football raved about Penn State's recent history in producing edge rushers (including two in the 2024 NFL Draft) and about Carter in particular, with some caveats.

"It has been an NFL-factory for pass-rushers in Happy Valley lately," the site wrote. "Add Abdul Carter as the next one to come down the following in the footsteps of Chop Robinson, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh, amongst others. Carter lacks ideal length, so he is one player who could be asked to transition to outside linebacker at the next level. However, his pass-rush prowess puts him in strong consideration for round one."

Carter was Penn State's lone representative on the Walter Camp Foundation Preseason All-America Team, though Dennis-Sutton could make a case for inclusion later this season. The junior is a natural edge rusher, at 6-5, 272 pounds with a superb burst off the line. He earned third-team all-Big Ten honors last season despite playing in a rotation with Robinson and Adisa Isaac. Dennis-Sutton made six tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks, and forced two fumbles. He dominated against Indiana, with six tackles and a sack.

Penn State opens the 2024 season at West Virginia on Aug. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.