The New York Giants have built one of the NFL's most dangerous groups of edge rushers. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter are each capable of hitting double-digit sacks in any season. All of the talent is there. Now, it's time to put it to use.
Carter knows what the unit is capable of. He believes that the Giants could lead the NFL in sacks this season.
When asked about the possibility, he told reporters, "Absolutely. We've got to put the work in, though. I don't want to talk about that, we're going to be about it."
Of course, any player is going to hype up their unit when asked about its potential. But Carter's projection for the Giants' defensive front is more than just lip service.
Abdul Carter can help the Giants lead the NFL in sacks in 2026
As productive as Burns was in 2025, the Giants as a whole didn't sack the quarterback as much as they would have hoped to. The team notched 39 sacks, tying for 15th in the league. The Denver Broncos led the way with 68.
Despite all of the resources New York invested in the defensive front, it was a league-average pass rush. They ranked 17th in team pressure rate at 22.7% despite posting a top-12 blitz rate.
Burns carried the weight of the pass rush, while Carter and Thibodeaux underwhelmed for large portions of the season.
Things could be different this year, though. Carter has been terrorizing the Giants' offense in training camp and seems ready to reach the potential that New York saw in him before he was drafted. In coordinator Dennard Wilson's more varied scheme, he'll be put in positions to maximize his athleticism.
In a contract year, Thibodeaux should see a bounce-back in production, too. The former first-rounder has reached double-digit sacks before, and he could come close again this season.
Even second-year defensive tackle Darius Alexander has a chance to break out in 2026. He has been consistently making plays in training camp, even forcing a couple of turnovers.
Stopping the run will be a necessity if the Giants want to increase their sack count. With one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season, Big Blue's dynamic edge rushers were rarely given clear passing situations where they could get after the quarterback.
Carter's mindset is exactly right. The Giants have the talent to become the league's most dangerous pass rush, but talent won't be enough. Each player has to put in the work throughout the season to become the best possible version of themselves. If they do, there's no limit to what they could accomplish.
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