The New England Patriots’ biggest question in this upcoming draft is not who they will take but who will be left. The three teams picking before the Patriots need quarterbacks, but only two quarterbacks are regarded as first-pick talent: Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. They have recently been rumored to be going as low as pick seven.
So the question remains: who will still be available? Will two teams take a chance on a quarterback in the top three? Will none? Will Travis Hunter be a top-three pick? Well, there is one player, Abdul Carter, who has been mocked as the top overall pick or a top-three pick in almost every mock draft you can find.
Late Wednesday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot that may require surgery. He then followed up today by reporting that Carter was not advised to get surgery and that he would work out on his pro day. Although this may seem like bad news for Carter, it could be great news for Carter and the Patriots.
Tests today revealed that potential No. 1 pick Abdul Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot and the Penn State standout will need to decide soon whether to have surgery, sources told ESPN.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1894969230375698792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Even though it was reported today that he would not need surgery, and his agent said, “I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he’s drafted, he will put on a show at his pro day.”
It has been seen multiple times that players’ draft stock drops because of reported injuries, rumors, and personal life issues that surface before the draft.
Doctors told Penn St. DE and projected No. 1 pick Abdul Carter that, after further scans on his right foot, surgery is not advisable. Carter will work out at his March 28 pro day at Penn State.
“I couldn’t be more confident that this will be a non-factor where he’s drafted,”… pic.twitter.com/pHTkIzDcWM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2025
This could mean teams in the top three might not want to take a chance on an injured player with their top pick, and this generational talent could fall right to the Patriots at pick four.
Even if Carter ends up needing surgery and missing some time, he will still be a great player in the league. The long-term benefits of drafting Carter are entirely worth it, even if he does not play this season when the Patriots will likely not be Super Bowl contenders.
This has happened recently with players like Josh Sweat, Laremy Tunsil, Jalen Carter, and Sean Lee. They all slid in the draft because of pre-draft issues, but they all turned out to be great NFL players.
If this does end up causing Carter to slide, the Patriots should consider drafting him with the fourth pick. He seems like he is going to be the next generational pass rusher in an age where pass-rushing has never been more important. This could be a chance at a generational superstar for the Patriots.
