Can Carter win the Defensive Rookie of The Year award?
Right now there are two big questions coming out of the New York Giants’ draft:
- How big of an impact will Abdul Carter have on the Giants’ defense?
- How much will Jaxson Dart play?
Carter is currently the favorite in Vegas and on FanDuel to win Defensive Rookie Of The Year (+250). It’s hardly uncommon for a highly drafted pass rusher to win DROY, and there have been seven edge defenders who have won since 2010.
Those seven pass rushers have averaged 9.0 sacks their rookie year, with Jared Verse being the outlier at 4.5 sacks last year.
Vegas set the over-under at 7.5 for sacks in Carter’s rookie year. The Giants’ rookie has been compared to the likes of Micah Parsons and Von Miller. And while those are lofty comparisons, there are similarities in the explosiveness and fluidity in their games.
Miller had 11.5 sacks as a rookie while Parsons had 13.0, so if the comparisons hold true, Carter could have a massive season for the Giants. That potential could also make 7.5 sacks a low bar to cross.
Of course, the Cowboys’ defense was ravaged by injuries in Parsons’ rookie year, so he was their primary pass rush weapon. Miller had Elvis Dumervil across from him for 14 games, but not much else. Carter, meanwhile, will need to split time on the field with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, as well as beat Dexter Lawrence and Darius Alexander to the quarterback.
The other question is how many games Jaxson Dart will start. Vegas set that over-under at 1.5 games.
The Giants would likely prefer that he not start any games as a rookie. They likely want to give him the opportunity to mature without the pressure of carrying the franchise. The hope is that Russell Wilson will put an exclamation point on his career by leading the Giants back to the playoffs while Dart does his work during the week. Even if Wilson gets hurt or is ineffective, the team also has Jameis Winston as their primary backup at the position.
However, if the team finds itself with meaningless games at the end of the year, it might put in the rookie to get in-game experience. There’s also the possibility that Dart matures more quickly than anticipated and beats out Winston to be the primary backup.
Could we see Dart start two games this year to get the “over”?
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