The New England Patriots badly need to upgrade their pass rush after a 4-13 season in which they came in at the bottom of the NFL in sacks with just 28, and ranked 31st of the 32 teams in quarterback hits. But if the Patriots had an opportunity to draft an elite pass rusher, would they trade that chance away to add additional assets?
The quantity over quality approach is exactly what was predicted by CBS Sports NFL analyst Ryan Wilson on Monday, when he assembled a new mock draft that sees New England dealing away the coveted No. 4 overall pick to the Chicago Bears.
With 40 sacks in 2024, the Bears were the definition of mediocre — ranking 16th out the 32 NFL outfits. And that would be Chicago’s motivation for making the trade up on draft day that Wilson forecasts. The target at the fourth overall pick would be Penn State linebacker Abdul Carter, generally considered the top pass rusher in the draft, and described by Wilson as “a freakish athlete who moved from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher for the 2024 season.”
Wilson went on to write that “Carter is not Micah Parsons — not yet, anyway — but he’s just scratching the surface on what he can do.”
Carter recorded 10 sacks in his third and final season at Penn State last year, and also led the Big Ten in tackles for lost yardage with 24.
Carter May Not be on Draft Board at No. 4
The CBS Sports scribe’s prediction, however, depends on Carter remaining available at the fourth slot on Day One of the draft April 25. In Wilson’s mock draft, that possibility is realized when the Cleveland Browns opt to take a quarterback — despite signing 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco to a one-year, $4 million contract last week.
After the Tennessee Titans select Miami signal-caller Cam Ward with the top pick, in Wilson’s scenario the Browns at No. 2, after their 3-14 season, take Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
At the third draft position, according to Wilson’s prediction, the New York Giants will then select Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a generational prospect who excels as a two way player with some draft evaluators considering Hunter both the best wide receiver in the draft and the best cornerback.
But Carter has given indications that he expects to be selected by the Giants, meeting with team officials and coaches on Friday.
On the other hand, Carter traveled to Gillette Stadium on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, to conduct a meeting with the Patriots brass.
“This is Carter’s last pre-draft visit, having already gone to the Titans, Browns and Giants,” Schefter reported. “He turned down all visits of teams outside of the top four picks.”
‘Red Flags’ Alleged Regarding Carter’s Character
Of course, the teams that hold the top four picks today may not be the teams that hold the top four picks on April 25 — especially the Patriots who appear to be the most likely to trade their pick down in the draft order to secure multiple selections allowing them to speed up their rebuild under new head coach Mike Vrabel, after back-to-back 4-13 seasons.
The possibility remains that none of the top four teams will select Carter, after reports of “glaring red flags” concerning his alleged character flaws.
Carter is currently scheduled for a May 22 court hearing on a misdemeanor assault charge over an incident with a tow truck driver in March on the Penn State campus.
According to Boston area sports journalist Greg Bedard, sources at the Senior Bowl described Carter as “known to be high maintenance and a bit of an a****le.” Another scout is reported to have said that Carter is “not a great worker” who will play hard in games, but is “not a great guy during the week because he’s so gifted.”
