When Abdul Carter entered the 2025 NFL Draft, there was an obvious player comparison to make for the star pass rusher:
Micah Parsons.
Both players were Penn State products. Both were capable linebackers who developed into pass rushers. Both offered game-wrecking versatility, able to pressure quarterbacks and create big plays for a defense.
Carter and Parsons were also first-round draft choices to NFC East teams, with Parsons landing with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 and Carter going to the New York Giants in 2025. With Parsons now the star of the Green Bay Packers’ defense, the two former Nittany Lions will meet in Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season for the first time as opponents.
How has Carter’s rookie season stacked up against Parsons’ in 2021? Here’s a breakdown of the two pass rushers’ first NFL seasons — and why they became so closely linked as former Penn State stars.
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Abdul Carter vs. Micah Parsons rookie stats
On the surface, Carter’s rookie season doesn’t appear to have lived up to expectations. Touted as a potential game-wrecking pass rusher and paired with an elite defensive line that includes another star in Brian Burns, Carter entered the year as an early Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite but has just 0.5 sacks through 10 games.
The underlying numbers, however, still show Carter has been a high-impact player — even if it’s taking some time for the sacks to show up.
According to ESPN's edge pass rush win rate rankings, Carter has a pass rush "win rate" of 17% through 10 games, which ranks 16th out of all NFL pass rushers. Parsons ranks sixth for the Packers at 21%. The statistic measures how often a pass rusher is able to beat his block within 2.5 seconds.
Carter has also totaled 11 pressures, according to Pro Football Reference. Parsons ranks third in the NFL with 25.
Still, there's plenty of room for improvement for Carter on the 2-8 Giants. The team has struggled defensively, and he has yet to break through as an "elite" player at his position. He'll have plenty of time to do so of course, still 22 years old.
In total, Carter has put up 22 tackles and 0.5 sacks in the first 10 games of his career. In Parsons' rookie season, he had 84 total tackles and 13 sacks, making much more of an impact for Dallas in 2021 en route to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of Carter (so far) and Parsons as rookies:
| Abdul Carter, 2025 | Player | Micah Parsons, 2021 |
| 10 | Games | 16 |
| 2-8 | Team Record | 12-5 |
| 22 (11) | Total Tackles (Solo) | 84 (64) |
| 0.5 | Sacks | 13.5 |
| 0 | Forced Fumbles | 3 |
| 0 | Interceptions | 0 |
| 0 | Passed Defended | 3 |
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Abdul Carter-Micah Parsons relationship
While their Penn State careers never overlapped — Parsons departed for the NFL in 2021, and Carter arrived in Happy Valley in 2022 — the two star pass rushers have developed a known relationship over the years. Penn State has developed a distinctive honor of keeping the No. 11 on the defense reserved for the most elite players, and both Parsons and Carter wore that number when with the Nittany Lions.
Carter naturally drew a lot of Parsons comparisons in his pre-draft process, something he commented on.
"I learned a lot from Micah. He took me under his wing just starting at Penn State, wearing number 11, that whole 'Stix City' tradition. But at the end of the day, I'm my own player, and I'm gonna be Abdul Carter," Carter said.
When Carter was selected by the Giants on draft night, Parsons said it was a "heartwarming" moment for him.
"Couldn't be happier for the kid," Parsons said. "I can't wait to see him shine."
MORE: Why did the Giants fire Brian Daboll?
Later on, when Parsons was going through his high-profile contract dispute with the Cowboys before the 2025 season, which eventually resulted in his trade to the Packers, he posted that Carter "could be another great."
In response, Carter posted that he couldn't wait for Parsons to "get paid what [he] earned."
My brudda🦾
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) August 10, 2025
can’t wait to see you get paid what you EARNED!!@MicahhParsons11 https://t.co/UABDr2KmzF
When Parsons was traded and paid by the Packers, Carter also reacted on X.
47 m’s😮 lemme hold something brudda @MicahhParsons11
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) August 28, 2025
Ahead of Giants vs. Packers in Week 11, Carter said "we're gonna compete" when asked about facing Parsons' team.
"That's my brother," Carter said.