Albert Breer joins Arbella Early Edition to weigh in on any character concerns he’s heard about draft prospect Abdul Carter.
If Abdul Carter falls to the New England Patriots at No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, it will be difficult for Mike Vrabel and Co. to pass on the opportunity to add a premier talent to their defense. But would recent speculation about the Penn State edge rusher's character concerns give them pause?
Judging by Vrabel's comments during Tuesday's pre-draft press conference, the Patriots won't rule out drafting Carter even if those concerns are valid.
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"You can’t win, you can’t do what we want to do with just a bunch of good dudes," Vrabel said. "That’s not going to get it done.”
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Vrabel, hired shortly after the 2024 season to replace Jerod Mayo as head coach, has emphasized his intent to "remove entitlement" from the Patriots locker room. While drafting Carter might contradict that goal, The MMQB's Albert Breer believes New England would be foolish to pass on the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year if he's available.
"They're valid, I do not think they're enough to pass on a talent like this whatsoever," Breer said of Carter's character concerns on Tuesday's Early Edition. "I think you'd be idiotic, because of what that position is. In all likelihood, at some point, they're gonna need a great player at that position. It's a premium position. Most great defenses have guys like that.
"The reality is, a lot of those guys are different. Myles Garrett is a very different guy, maybe one of the best five players at any position in the NFL. Micah Parsons isn't all that well-liked in the Cowboys building. T.J. Watt is very into himself. With every single one of them there's something, and I don't know why it's specific to that position, but that's what you get.
"So, I think it's something eventually you're gonna have to deal with. Do you want to deal with it in the first year under Mike Vrabel? Ideally, no, but this is too high-end of a talent to pass on."
Carter visited the Patriots on Monday. Vrabel wouldn't share details about the visit, but he did share his takeaways from watching the blue-chip prospect's tape.
“I would say the tape is dynamic," he said. "There’s a lot of great qualities of a disruptive pass rusher. He’s a very loose, slippery sudden player. It was a fun tape to watch.”
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Carter recorded 12 sacks with 24 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season for the Nittany Lions. He would bring a much-needed boost to a New England pass rush that ranked dead last in sacks with 28.
The Patriots should still have intriguing options if Carter isn't available at No. 4. LSU left tackle Will Campbell would fill a major need, and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter has the potential to be a two-way star after a stellar collegiate career at Colorado.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be pivotal for New England as it looks to expedite its rebuild after consecutive 4-13 seasons. The Tennessee Titans will be on the clock when the draft begins Thursday, April 24.
