While Abdul Carter's status as the top pass rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft is borderline undisputed, one aspect of his game that has been debated is which player he most resembles at the professional level.

Some have compared him to Micah Parsons – an obvious one, considering his Penn State number – while others see more of Von Miller, and others still have taken things back even further, putting Nittany Lions in the same breath as some of his school's all-time legends.

Discussing what makes Carter so special – identifying his first-step quickness/snap-count anticipation as a “super power” – in a special story for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks went back to the 20th century to find a few comps for the Penn State product, both of which should make fans in Happy Valley very happy indeed.

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“The league's elite pass rushers routinely display exceptional first-step quickness and snap-count anticipation. Carter pounces off the ball like a cat, showcasing a three-step burst that leaves blockers in a daze when trying to shadowbox with the sensational sack artist,” Brooks wrote. “As a dynamic athlete who explodes off the edge on the center's ball squeeze, the Penn State star exhibits the Hall of Fame traits that helped two of my former teammates, Derrick Thomas and Bruce Smith, earn gold jackets as pass-rush specialists.”

Whoa, putting Carter in the same conversation as two certified Hall of Famers with busts in Canton? That's high praise.

While Carter wasn't even alive when Smith last played at the NFL level, and was still in diapers when Thomas called it a career, he is the next in a long line of impressive edge players who have taken their talents from State College to the professional ranks. While some will debate if he's more of a moveable linebacker who can blitz from anywhere or a dedicated edge who should keep a hand in the ground as often as possible, one thing is clear: Carter is going to be drafted early on in the 2025 NFL Draft and his future employer will be very happy he's around. Why? Because there simply aren't many NFL players, even now, who can match his impressive burst, ferosity, and anticipation.