The New York Giants used the No. 3 pick on Abdul Carter because they believed he was someone who could change their losing narrative. It wasn’t about drafting for need. It was about going best player available, who just so happened to also be the class' best pass rusher.
Based on the early signs from training camp, that's exactly the guy they got.
Related: It took one practice for Jaguars to instantly regret passing on Abdul Carter
The pads don’t go on until Monday, but Carter hasn’t needed them to stand out. He’s already put John Michael Schmitz on skates, ruined a rookie rep for Marcus Mbow, and nearly ended a play before it started just by knifing through a B-gap walkthrough. He has been an absolute terror.
The staff’s not easing him in; they’re letting the kid cook. He’s lined up inside, outside, standing, shaded, over the center, off the edge, wherever they put him, he moves like it’s second nature. This isn’t a trial run. They’re letting him go wreck plays and sorting out the details later.
After practice, he was asked if he felt pressure being the third overall pick, and his answer was iconic: “I feel like I perform best under pressure,” Carter told reporters after Sunday’s walkthrough. “I don’t shy away from it, I embrace it.”
This is exactly how the Giants planned to use him
His electric response wasn't lip service. It aligns with just about everything we’ve seen since he touched the field at rookie camp. The guy has been operating like someone who expects to be the best player on the defense, not eventually... like, right now.
Every rep has backed it up. He’s exploding off the ball, bending around tackles, flashing inside-out counters, and already wrecking the timing of the offense. And we’re talking about a defense that’s not exactly short on pass rushers either. This is a room with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Chauncey Golston in it. Carter doesn’t care.
He’s carried himself like someone who plans to be at the center of everything this defense does, and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is already giving him that kind of runway.
Carter hasn’t needed to press or overextend. He’s come into camp fully engaged, playing fast, trusting his instincts, and doing the exact things that got him here in the first place.
The pressure that comes with being the No. 3 pick isn’t some weight he’s carrying — it’s just the next step. It's cool that a 21-year-old has the mental makeup and maturity to realize that already, and that's what's going to make him an instant-impact player sooner rather than later.