If you didn’t think you could be any more excited to see Abdul Carter in the NFL, think again. All offseason, the star pass rusher out of Penn State has proven why he was selected No. 3 in the 2025 NFL Draft for good reason: He’s a straight-up menace in every area.
He’s explosive off the edge, relentless in pursuit, and possesses an arsenal of pass rushing moves— so it’s been no surprise that he’s dominated early training camp reps as if he were a seasoned vet. Whether or not the 21-year-old suits up for Big Blue’s preseason opener Saturday in Buffalo remains to be seen, but make no mistake: Carter is ready to take an NFL field by storm.
"I just want to play football, that's all," Carter told SNY after Thursday's practice.
Week 1 can’t come soon enough for Abdul Carter (and Giants fans)
Once the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year steps on the field at MetLife Stadium, Giants fans will be witnessing a legitimate game-changer from the jump. In his final season in Happy Valley—also his first as a full-time edge rusher — he recorded 12.0 sacks, 68 tackles, and 24 tackles for loss.
If those aren’t eye-popping numbers to you, you might need to get your vision checked.
And now he’s appearing on a Giants’ defensive line that has no shortage of star power, which some have even deemed the best defensive front in football. Carter will play alongside Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Chauncey Golston off the edge while Dexter Lawrence, Roy Robertson-Harris, and fellow rookie Darius Alexander clog the middle.
Moreover, Carter’s arrival gives the Giants a much-needed boost on a defense hungry for a disruptive force. After over a decade of searching for a true difference-maker on the defensive line, the G-Men finally have that in the Pennsylvania native. He’s constantly drawn comparisons to Micah Parsons, another linebacker-turned-edge rusher to come out of PSU.
In a division with three other elite quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Dak Prescott, New York needs bodies to terrorize those signal-callers on Sundays. He’s here to be a cornerstone of Shane Bowen’s defense like Malik Nabers has been for the offense.
It is no foregone conclusion that Carter will appear in the preseason, but the modern norm is that all first-round rookies get at least a few reps, even if it isn’t significant time. That means fans won’t have to wait long to witness what all the hype is about— and they’re ready to see his success translate from the practice field to in-game action.