The New York Giants have spent the better part of the last decade trying to recapture the defensive magic that once made MetLife Stadium a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.
We’ve seen flashes, we’ve seen Brian Burns' monster 2025 season, and we’ve seen Kayvon Thibodeaux show he can be a game-changer when healthy... years ago. And according to the latest rankings from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport, the G-Men are sitting at No. 6 in the league when it comes to EDGE duos.
On paper, No. 6 feels like a safe, respectable spot. It acknowledges that Burns is an absolute nightmare who just dropped an NFC-high 16.5 sacks in 2025. But if you’ve been watching this team closely, you know that safe and respectable isn't the ceiling for this group. The ceiling is the roof, and there is one specific name that is going to determine if the Giants stay at No. 6 or skyrocket to No. 1.
And that name is Abdul Carter.
The Giants are one Abdul Carter leap away from a pass rush nightmare
The 2025 third-overall pick had a rookie season that was equal parts wow and "wait, what?" He led the league in quick pressures, getting to the QB at a rate so quickly that defensive coordinators would drool, yet he only finished with four sacks and spent some time in the doghouse for sleeping through and missing meetings. As Davenport puts it:
"If Carter becomes the player the Giants hoped he would when he drafted, New York could have the best edge duo in the game. In two years in New York, Brian Burns has piled up 25 sacks, including an NFC-high 16.5 in 2025. As of now, Kayvon Thibodeaux (who had 11.5 sacks in 2023) remains on the roster. And while rookie Arvell Reese will begin his career as an off-ball linebacker, there's more than a little Micah Parsons in the Ohio State star's game."
The Micah Parsons comparison for rookie Arvell Reese is tantalizing, and Burns is already the established Batman in this scenario. But the reason the Giants’ pass-rush could become the most feared unit in the NFL is about the sheer gravity Carter can create.
When a team has a guy who can win his matchup in under two seconds, it forces the offensive line to pick their poison. You cannot double-team Burns and account for Carter’s burst at the same time.
Last year, Carter was the king of the almost play -- he took that unfortunate title from Thibodeaux. He was seemingly a half-step away from a double-digit sack season. If he converts even a quarter of those league-leading quick pressures into actual finishes in 2026, the G-Men become a historical problem.
If Carter takes the sophomore leap we’re all expecting, Davenport’s No. 6 ranking is going to look hilariously ridiculous real quick. The Giants are so much more than a dynamic duo; they have an armada of pass-rushers. As long as Carter is providing a spark, the rest of the NFL better start getting their quarterbacks some extra insurance.
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