The New York Giants added one of the league’s most exciting rookie talents with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Former Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter is joining a loaded defensive front, giving the Giants’ defense high expectations entering 2025.
Abdul Carter predicted to make the NFL’s All-Rookie Team
NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice recently took an early look at the 2025 rookie class, predicting who will make the All-Rookie Team. Carter was an easy choice.
“Widely considered the best defensive player in this draft class, Carter is unsurprisingly the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year,” Filice explained. “His explosiveness off the edge jumps off the screen, but with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as the incumbent outside linebackers, what’s the plan with the No. 3 overall pick?”
Getting all three edge rushers on the field and playing in unison will be crucial for the Giants’ defense. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen described the challenge as “a really good problem to have.”
Adding Carter to the mix gives Big Blue four pass rushers (Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence) with the capability of recording double-digit sacks in a single season.
Carter could make the Giants’ defensive line an elite unit
Expectations are immensely high for Carter. The No. 3 overall pick is entering the NFL with elite potential, garnering comparisons to the likes of Micah Parsons and other All-Pro pass rushers.
In 2024, Carter totaled 12.0 sacks and a nation-leading 24.0 tackles for loss at Penn State. The dominant final season of his collegiate career made Carter one of the most highly coveted prospects in the pre-draft process.
The Giants’ unofficial franchise record (held by Lawrence Taylor) for the most sacks recorded by a rookie is 9.5. If Carter can cross over the elusive double-digit threshold as a rookie, he will place himself in an elite class with the franchise’s all-time greats.
Such a campaign would likely lock Carter the Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy, giving the Giants an elite defensive building block for the future.
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