The Tennessee Titans entered the NFL Combine searching for some clarity regarding their plans with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, an injury to one player may have further complicated matters.
Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter did not participate athletically at the NFL Combine due to a shoulder injury suffered against Boise State during the College Football Playoff. The issue is described as minor, but considering Carter hasn’t played a football game since January 9th, nearly two months ago, it was enough to keep him sidelined in Indianapolis.
It’s also worth acknowledging that any minor ailment keeps athletes from participating at the combine nowadays, in a landscape that is seeing more and more top prospects opt out of on-field participation every year.
The issue that arose is a shoulder injury isn’t the only thing bothering Carter. Medical checks at the NFL Combine revealed the potential No. 1 overall pick is also dealing with a stress reaction injury in his foot. An update has since revealed it’s not serious enough for Carter to undergo surgery, but it does add another complicated layer to his evaluation.
Carter plans to work out for teams at his Pro Day in late March. Mike Borgonzi and his staff should gain more sense of understanding regarding Carter’s injuries at that event, roughly one month before the 2025 NFL Draft. The Titans will probably hold off on making any decisions until they have all of the information at their disposal.
Selecting Carter at No. 1 overall in April would arrive with accepted risk given he’s nursing two injuries in March, one of which nearly resulted in surgery. It’s worth noting neither injury sounds preventative. This isn’t a torn ACL that is guaranteed to impact his rookie campaign, but the lingering unknown is present.
The Titans have other options at No. 1. They could strongly consider a quarterback like Cam Ward, or wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, who Borgonzi and Brian Callahan wisely showered with praise while speaking at the NFL Combine. Or they could trade down, acquire more draft capital, and still target Carter or Hunter. They’d certainly feel better about the opportunity cost on Carter’s injuries if drafting him also came with more immediate and future draft capital.
The 2025 NFL Draft doesn’t feature any straightforward decisions for the Titans. There’s no Caleb Williams available at No. 1 overall. A tough draft to navigate became slightly more difficult for the Titans following news of Carter’s foot injury.