Another “generational defender” is on the rise. And you don’t have to think so hard to know who that is because Abdul Carter’s records speak for itself. It’s no accident he was crowned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, leading Penn State with a staggering 68 tackles in 2024. But here’s the million-dollar question: Is he even better than Micah Parsons, the Penn State alum who took the NFL by storm and snagged Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021? Some think so. 

“Abdul Carter reportedly ‘won’t last’ beyond the Top-3 picks in the NFL Draft,” NFL Rookie Watch reported on Instagram on February 9. Reports suggest that multiple NFL scouts and GMs view Abdul Carter “on the same level” as Myles Garrett, who was regarded as one of the most dominant defensive prospects. Garrett was later drafted as the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. But that’s not the only comparison.

“There are reportedly scouts that have Abdul graded as their No. 1 overall prospect,” the report stated. “A handful of scouts also reportedly believe Carter is an ‘even better prospect’ than Micah Parsons was coming out of Penn State.”

Micah Parsons has already established himself as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers with the Dallas Cowboys. But coming out of Penn State in his final year, he recorded 109 total tackles compared to Abdul Carter’s 68. But while he recorded 14 tackles for loss and five sacks, the 2025 NFL prospect surpassed him with 17.5 TFLs and 12 sacks. His dominance was apparent in the game against Illinois, where he earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors with seven total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. 

It’s a lucrative season for Abdul Carter, who made it to the playoff semifinals before ultimately losing to Notre Dame. In his three seasons in Penn State, the 6’3, 259-pounder recorded 173 tackles, 23 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 13 pass deflections, and one interception. As far as draft projections go, he’s expected to be a top-5 pick, while Parsons was a No. 12 pick. CBS Sports has him landing at Tennessee as the No. 1 pick, while The Arizona Republic projected him as the No. 2 pick landing at Cleveland. And among his supporters is a voice he truly trusts. 

Micah Parsons is optimistic about Abdul Carter 

Abdul Carter’s admiration for Micah Parsons is obvious, starting with their No. 11 Penn State jerseys. But it’s a mutual thing, and the Cowboys legend just needed a week to know that this guy is a competitive, hardworking player who could be the No. 1 rusher. Appearing on the Super Bowl LIX Radio Row, he opened up on how he mentored Carter during the offseason. 

Micah Parsons first began with how he appreciated Abdul Carter for hitting him up, saying he’d like to spend a week and a half with him. The Cowboys linebacker then reminisced about their first workout together, recalling how he took Carter to “run a mile” and really see what he was made of. His progression awed Parsons, who revealed, “Throughout the week, he just progressively got better and better and better, and I told him I was like, bro, this is what’s gonna take like it’s great.” And hey, they’ve even had conversations about being the first pick.

“Super excited for him. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Parsons told Fox News Digital. “We talked all offseason while we were working out together, just about how to become the No. 1 pick, how to get there, what you have to do on and off the field. I couldn’t be more proud of him that he’s in that discussion.” No context is necessary for the pride he has for Abdul Carter. 

Now the question is if Abdul Carter can take those offseason lessons from Micah Parsons and turn them into game-changing plays. The hype is real, and so are the mock drafts that have him at No. 1.