The New York Giants have always been at their best when the pass rush leads the way. Their two most recent Super Bowls were led by should be Hall of Fame quarterback, Eli Manning, and a ferocious pass rush that ruined Tom Brady’s life on two separate occasions. Since then, the team has had inconsistent pass rushers and defenses that have trended towards the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category. The Eagles re-laid the blueprint in 2024 with their win over the Chiefs. The formula is simple. Sack the quarterback with three rushers to disrupt the timing of the opponents’ offense. The best quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes included, struggle to overcome a powerful pass rush. Fortunately, the Giants selected Abdul Carter with the third pick in the NFL Draft. Now, the pass-rush will be the Giants’ identity.
An Already Established Pass Rush
In 2025, Carter is joining a Giants’ defense that features Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux. By week 8 in 2024, the team led the NFL in sacks with 35. Dexter Lawrence alone had a league leading 9.0 sacks. Two monster performances against the Browns and Seahawks, without coincidence, led to their only two wins in that span.
Unfortunately, Lawrence missed the last half of the season. Thibodeaux was in and out of the lineup, and Burns played through injury after week 10. The pass rush faded, and so did the defense’s overall production. Still, Burns and Lawrence were a highlight for the team even before drafting Abdul Carter.
Abdul Carter’s Playstyle
Now, enter Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter. By drafting him, the team is leaning into what makes them a treasured franchise that values the defensive trenches. Carter has shades of Von Miller and Micah Parsons with his athleticism, bend, and rudeness off the snap. He projects as a day one starter who could earn double-digit sacks in year one.
Carter, a Philadelphia native and lifelong Eagles fan, now finds himself competing against his hometown team in the NFC East. Despite his allegiance, Carter expressed that being drafted by the Giants was a dream come true. In 2024, Carter led the nation in pass rush win rate during his first full season as an edge rusher. Furthermore, his experience at inside linebacker will allow Shane Bowen to move him around the field. Ideally, Bowen will take advantage of Carter’s speed to spy on Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels over the middle.
If used correctly, all signs indicate that Carter can come into the NFL and wreck games. Of course, there will be a learning curve, but Carter has the benefit of playing alongside an all-pro caliber player in Dexter Lawrence and a Pro Bowl caliber player in Brian Burns.
Reclaiming the Giants’ Identity
Together with the added expectation that Thibodeaux will develop in his fourth year, the Giants will have an elite defensive front in 2025. With the depth of talent, teams will have to carefully choose who to double and who to leave one on one.
Giants fans resonate with defense-first, gritty football. Adding Abdul Carter to an already established pass-rush will only extenuate the team’s hard-nose identity. For years, it felt like the Giants were aimless when it came to their strengths. Now, after several high-end investments, the pass-rush will be the Giant’s identity again.
Main Photo: [Thomas Salus] – USA Today Sports
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