Week 9 NFL Draft intel: Will Penn State DE prove he’s a potential top-10 pick?

Each week, Yardbarker is monitoring the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay.

From an athletic Penn State pass-rusher to an Ohio State playmaker, here are five players we are tracking:  

Penn State DE Abdul Carter could climb draft boards with dominant performance against Ohio State

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly compared Carter to Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons — a former Penn State star — before Saturday’s road game with the No. 3 Nittany Lions (7-0).

“He’s extremely explosive for his size. He’s a lot like [Parsons],” Kelly said Tuesday via Cleveland.com’s Andrew Gillis. “You don’t see that in a defensive lineman usually.”  

Carter (6-foot-3, 259 pounds) moved from linebacker to defensive end this season and only has four sacks in seven games. However, he could feast against the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s O-line recently lost starting left tackle Josh Simmons to a season-ending knee injury.  

“With the Ohio State offensive line reeling, Penn State’s pass-rush should be licking its chops,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote Thursday. “This type of stage could convince scouts [Carter] is worthy of top-10 consideration.”

Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka continues to impress

On Wednesday, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner listed Egbuka (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) as one of the season’s biggest draft risers. 

“Egbuka is one of those prospects who’s been around so long that people sort of forgot how good he is,” wrote Baumgardner. “He’s grinded through injury, handled a boatload of off-target throws and continues to be one of the most dependable pass-catchers in America.”

Egbuka underwent surgery on his left ankle in 2023 but has stayed healthy in 2024, producing solid numbers. He has 43 receptions for 546 yards and six TD catches in seven games. 

No. 4 Ohio State (6-1) needs him to deliver against Penn State, which is sixth in the Big Ten in passing yards allowed (174.6). 

TCU WR Savion Williams is generating more buzz

Brugler recently wrote Williams “will gain steam throughout the draft process.” 

Per Brugler, Williams has a 40-inch vertical jump, which would’ve tied for the sixth-highest vertical among WRs at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.

In a 35-34 win over Texas Tech on Saturday, Williams had 14 touches (three receptions and 11 carries) for 153 yards (81 receiving and 72 rushing) and two TDs. On Tuesday, the Senior Bowl named him Offensive Stock Up Player of the Week. 

Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy noted TCU has used Williams as a wildcat QB 18 times over its past two games. If the Horned Frogs keep showcasing his versatility, the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder should land on NFL teams’ radars.

North Carolina DE Kaimon Rucker is on an upward trajectory

On Tuesday, the Senior Bowl gave Rucker the Defensive Stock Up Player of the Week after he had season highs in sacks (three) and tackles for loss (3.5) in a 41-14 road blowout against Virginia. 

The Chuck Bednarik Award — given to the top defensive player in college football — recently named Rucker to its midseason watch list.

Brugler is concerned about Rucker’s size (6-foot-2, 265 pounds) but still believes he’s an ascending prospect.

“Against Virginia, [Rucker] was all over the field and impacted the game as a pass-rusher, run defender and when dropping in coverage,” Brugler wrote Thursday. “Rucker plays with outstanding burst and violence, and he skillfully uses his natural leverage to work underneath blockers and be disruptive.”  

LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is still considered one of the class’ top QBs  

Nussmeier’s stock hasn’t seemed to tank despite a clunker in Week 9 against Texas A&M. In the 38-23 road loss, he completed 25-of-50 passes for 405 yards, two TDs and three interceptions.

In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards has the New York Giants taking Nussmeier (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) with pick No. 9.

“I have my concerns about the level of decision-making that essentially every quarterback has shown this season,” wrote Edwards. “However, Garrett Nussmeier has shown more in terms of his ability to read out defenses and make proper decisions than others in this class.”

Nussmeier’s poor outing against the Aggies could be an outlier. He’s tied for fourth in the FBS in TD passes (20) through eight games and ranks 12th in QBR (81.4).