INDIANAPOLIS– Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi feels multiple players in this draft fit the “generational talent” description, but is Abdul Carter one of them?
Well, Borgonzi wouldn’t say outright, since GMs and coaches have to be careful of what they say on college prospects.
“Yeah, I mean, Abudl’s a very good player,” he told reporters Tuesday morning. “I don’t want to get into many evaluations of the players but like I said, there’s certainly some players at the top there that fit that description of generational talent.”
If there are, indeed, “multiple players” in this draft that are “generational talents,” one would think Carter is one of them, right?
WHY CARTER HAS A SHOT TO GO NUMBER ONE
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Abdul Carter has a chance to be the first player selected mainly because of what he did at Penn State last season.
Oh, he was a good player before, having been an All-Big Ten selection in each of his two seasons at linebacker.
But after moving to defensive end ahead of his junior season, Carter launched into a different gear.
Carter became the first Penn State player in almost a decade to reach double-digit sacks (12) and led the nation in tackles for loss (22). The last part of the season was rough for Carter, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State New Year’s Eve night.
Even with the bad shoulder, Carter still had a dominant last game. In Penn State’s Orange Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame, Carter had five tackles (three solo) and a sack.
But the injury is serious enough to keep Carter from working out at this week’s Combine.
The good news is Carter still plans to work out at Penn State’s Pro Day, scheduled for March 28.
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ANOTHER PENN STATER
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Will Levis
If Carter doesn’t go No. 1 to the Titans, a big reason could be that, well, they kinda need a quarterback since another former Penn Stater hasn’t flourished in the NFL yet.
Will Levis played his first three college seasons at Penn State before transferring to Kentucky, where he developed into one of the nation’s top QB prospects.
The Titans drafted him in the second round hoping he could be the QB of the future.
Well, it hasn’t quite worked out that way. Last season, Levis struggled enough to get benched in favor of Mason Rudolph.
Borzongi said that Levis will compete for the job with whatever QB they bring in.
Tennessee certainly could take a QB like Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedaur Sanders at No. 1.
But they could also take a defensive end, and Borgonzi talked about what he thinks makes a great DE.
“The ability to dip around the edge and just having a relentless passion to get to the quarterback,” he said.
Carter checks those boxes.
