Patriots Deemed Top Fit for Star Pass Rusher

The New England Patriots could fix their pass-rushing issue by landing this star defensive end.

Aug 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter (11) celebrates after a defensive stop during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have a whole lot of needs up and down the roster, and while they are clearly more bereft of offensive talent, they could use some extra defensive pieces, as well.

The Patriots will have to build through both free agency and the NFL Draft during the offseason, and the good news is that they should have a very high pick.

But which area will New England address in the first round of the draft?

There are plenty of directions the Pats can go, but Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler has identified one terrific fit for the Pats: Penn State Nittany Lions edge rusher Abdul Carter.

"Carter touts an elite get-off to force depth from opposing blockers, can win through his opponent's chest plate, and he has the experience in space to pursue and track down ball-carriers in the fringe areas," Fowler wrote. "He's versatile, highly productive, immensely talented and is just now scratching the surface of what he could be down the road."

Carter is enjoying a fantastic junior campaign at Penn State, having already racked up 34 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defended in eight games.

The 20-year-old arrived at Happy Valley in 2022 and has been a force all throughout his collegiate tenure, amassing 17 sacks thus far.

The Patriots are definitely in need of another edge rusher after trading Matthew Judon before the season and then jettisoning Josh Uche last month.

New England was very quiet at the trade deadline and was unable to add any interesting pieces for the future, so it now really has to bank on a strong offseason to field a better team in 2025.

We'll see what type of strategic approach the Pats employ in the spring.

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