The Giants own the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there’s sure to be plenty of intriguing options for them to add. We'll be taking a look at some potential Giants draft picks, focusing this time on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
By The Numbers
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 250 pounds
- 40-Yard Dash: N/A (Carter did not participate in drills at the NFL Combine or at Penn State’s Pro Day)
- Vertical: N/A
- Bench: N/A
- Broad Jump: N/A
- 2024 Stats (16 games started): 68 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 12.0 sacks, two forced fumbles
Prospect Overview
Bleacher Report: Carter is an elite athlete, which gives him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher at the next level. His get-off is very impressive as he explodes off the line of scrimmage and can win with speed around the edge when times up the snap. Also, he's shown a very good dip-rip move and the potential to develop a stick move as an inside counter with his movement skills.
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Schematically, he'd be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts. He also can be used to drop in coverage occasionally, given his athleticism and background as an off-ball linebacker.
NFL.com: Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match. He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.
Why Carter makes sense for the Giants
Carter may very well be the best overall prospect in this year’s draft class. While the quarterbacks always tend to go early, Carter has a legitimate chance to go in the first two picks, and there’s even a small chance he goes first overall. Rightfully so, as Carter’s skill set as an elite rusher off the edge makes him an extremely valuable commodity.
Taking a look at the Giants’ depth chart, edge rusher may be the spot where Big Blue has the most talent, namely Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. But you can never have enough good, young rushers, and the Giants are in a spot near the top of the draft where they almost have to throw their depth chart out the window: When you draft third overall, you need to land a blue chip player, and Carter is definitely a blue-chipper.
Think about the Giants teams in 2007 and 2011. Sure, they had Eli Manning at quarterback and good pieces on offense, but the heart of those teams were the defensive lines, with players like Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Jason Pierre-Paul consistently wreaking havoc. Someone like Carter, who should be able to impact the quarterback at a consistent clip, would open up so many things for the defense in terms of coverage, and can also wreck a game all by himself.
NFL Comparison
Bleacher Report: Von Miller