Everyone loves a pen state hybrid edge linebacker – except maybe NFC East offensive Linemen.
Micah Parsons has made a case to be recognized as the best defensive player in the NFL as Linebacker and Kant Rusher with Dallas Cowboys.
There is nothing NFL teams love more than replicating each other.
But how similar are the two Nittany Lions?
Abdul Carter is 6-foot-3, 250 pounds-only four more than his pen state equivalent. He plays the majority of his snaps at the Rush Linebacker position, but can drop down to play stand-up or release in coverage if needed, thanks to impressive athletic chops. Parsons and Carter share the same blast of the edge and tracks to their Linebacker background.
They can explode in any direction and keep the natural fluid to close and fill the state sheet with sacks.
Maybe this is a hot hold, but I’d rather let my edge rusers come from a linebacker background than a defensive tackle background (looking at you, Shemar Stewart).
There is nothing wrong with having a huge natural power in your game, but power can be built. It is more difficult to get speed and burst if you do not start from a strong floor. It is part of what makes Parsons consistently successful. He exceeds each offensive lineman athletically and was able to fuck some of them in a track meeting.
Carter shares the same explosiveness and agility, and his angles to strive for the quarter hill are tight and accurate.
Penn State Pass -Rusare has usually been technically healthy. Even guys like Arnold Ebiketie-who are not entirely by Parsons and Carter’s Caliber-Har made names for themselves based on technical refinement and a bag of pass-rush movements.
Carter has it in spades. Starts with a particularly dirty spin movement that leaves tackles dizzy and often on the ground, he uses a quick notch and bends off the corner. Penn State coach James Franklin emphasizes agility and technical refinement with his edge rusers, which precedes Parsons. Think of Shaka Toney – while not a top NFL player – whose edge rush skills at the university level originated almost completely from the side movement. That’s what you get with a Penn State Edge guy.
Carter makes a case for the best defensive player in the class. His impressive athletics and polished technical skills make for a complete edge ruser opportunity that still has a wide open roof. Is he the next Micah Parsons? I’m not sure how much Carter would appreciate that I put him in a Nittany -lion -shaped box, but he could very well be the next star in a defense in the way that Parsons is for the cowboys. They play the same way and helped turn Nittany Lions defense into a natural force.
Carter deserves the high draft he is likely to gather, and we can expect to see him stack bags for many years to come.
