No Abdul Carter? No problem for Panthers, exciting new stat reveals

Even without Abdul Carter, the Panthers can get an elite edge rusher.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) reacts after suffering an injury against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As the College Football Playoffs went on, Abdul Carter began to really play himself out of range of the Carolina Panthers in the draft. When the Combine starts, Carter, a physical specimen at edge rusher, will only continue to make his case for being picked well before the Panthers get on the board. That seemingly blows their chances of getting an impact edge rusher in the draft, right?

Maybe not. A new stat has surfaced that shows just how deep the 2025 class is at edge rusher. Even if Carter is long gone, and he's likely to be, the Panthers still have options to bolster a toothless pass rush and inject some talent into their defense.

New stat shows Panthers have multiple dominant edge rusher options in draft

Abdul Carter might have some company pic.twitter.com/tzPg6S7D94

— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) February 14, 2025

If the Panthers could draft Jared Verse, Myles Garrett, or Joey Bosa with the eighth pick, they almost certainly would. Those are among the best pass-rushers in football, something Carolina needs badly. One might think that they could do that only if Abdul Carter falls, but one would be wrong.

Since 2016, the above chart details how much each edge rusher prospect wins relative to the passing sets they play against. Some of the best edge rushers in the NFL ended up in the top right corner, and that's where Abdul Carter is. He's not alone among 2025 rushers, though.

Tennessee defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) takes down Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) during an NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

James Pearce Jr. is right there with him. Mike Green and Princely Umanmielen are there, too. The Panthers could trade down in the first round to get Pearce Jr. or Green, and Umanmielen is often not even featured in first-round mock drafts.

That gives the Panthers options. Sure, they'd love for Carter to fall to them, but it's not over and done for their pass rush if he doesn't. That might be the best-case scenario, actually. If they can pull off a trade back for Pearce, they'd end up with a great pass rusher and a few extra picks, too.

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