New York Jets Bolster Pass Rush With Abdul Carter in Recent NFL Mock Draft

The New York Jets add an elite pass rusher in Abdul Carter out of Penn State in a recent mock draft that has them selecting No. 7 overall.

Oct 5, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after tackling UCLA Bruins running back Jalen Berger (0) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The list of things that have gone wrong for the New York Jets in the 2024 NFL regular season is a lengthy one.

Things have fallen apart in virtually every facet of the game, with very few bright spots emerging during the year. One of the most disappointing areas of the team has to be their pass rush.

What was expected to be a strength of a championship-caliber defense has fallen short of expectations in some aspects. They have been inconsistent in getting after the quarterback as moves made this offseason have not panned out.

Acquiring Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles has been a major bust. He has only 0.5 sacks and one quarterback hit in his six games played. The team traded John Franklin-Myers to the Denver Broncos to make room for him and he has outplayed Reddick.

Pro Bowler Jermaine Johnson II being sidelined certainly hasn’t helped either. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 2.

Will McDonald IV has stepped up with 10 sacks in his sophomore season, but he has only two in the last six games. They both came in the same game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Bolstering the pass rush should be near the top of the to-do list for whoever takes over as general manager and head coach. And that is exactly what Daniel Flick of Sports Illustrated has them doing in a recent mock draft.

With the No. 7 selection, the Jets come away with Penn State Nittany Lions star edge rusher, Abdul Carter.

“The Jets are expected to pursue a quarterback at this spot, but can they really pass on Carter here? He’s the latest game-wrecking linebacker from Penn State, and his instincts, versatility and athleticism blend well with his 6'3", 252-pound frame. A three-time All-Big Ten selection, Carter logged 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 53 pressures and a 21.5% pass-rush win rate this season. He’d give the already solid Jets defense a dynamic playmaker,” Flick wrote.

With their depth along the defensive front lacking, adding a player of that caliber to the mix would be a boon for the defense. New York fans are already having visions of their own version of Micah Parsons wrecking opponent’s offensive game plans.

There is a lot of uncertainty with the position group as well.

It is hard to envision Reddick being brought back after his lengthy holdout and lack of production since joining the lineup. Johnson is going to need some time to knock off the rust from his layoff as well.

Carter can ease a lot of those worries given how good of a player he is. But it is hard to tell what direction things will go in until a new regime is put into place.

As Flick noted, a quarterback will be considered at this spot, but if the Penn State star is still on the board, he would be the best player available.