NFL Draft 2025: The Top-10 Defensive Prospects With Insight from Executives, Scouts, and Coaches across the League

The NFL Draft is now officially less than one week away, as teams are putting the finishing touches on their draft board.

Here’s a look at the top-10 defensive prospects in this year’s class, with insight and analysis from Executives, coaches, and scouts across the NFL on the most coveted defensive players about to hear their name called.

1. Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

The term “generational prospect” gets thrown around a bit too loosely, but it doesn’t take long watching Carter’s film to realize that he belongs in that conversation.

Carter is the kind of impact player who can disrupt every snap thanks to his rare combination of an elite and explosive first step, incredible bend off the edge, and even more impressive instincts for the football.

Last season, as Pro Football Focus points out, Carter logged an elite 22.6 pass-rush win rate, one of the highest in the class, while producing 13 sacks and 43 quarterback pressures.

Here’s the thing: The 2024 season was Carter’s first as a true edge rusher/defensive end.

Part of what makes Carter so coveted by teams is his versatility to make plays off the edge, as an off-ball linebacker and the ability to be moved around the line of scrimmage to create the most favorable matchup possible from snap to snap throughout the course of a game.

NFC Personnel Director: “He’s the best player in the Draft. Just go and watch the Notre Dame game … He was a one-man wrecking crew with just 1 arm. There are no real weak points to his game.”

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