It’s becoming an annual tradition, and not the good kind. Prank calls during the NFL Draft have always unfortunately been part of the process, but the 2025 draft brought them fully into the spotlight. From fake GM impersonations to bogus draft calls, the volume ticked up—and so did the stakes.
Buffalo’s offensive tackle Chase Lundt, Philadelphia's quarterback Kyle McCord, and Indianapolis' tight end Tyler Warren were all on the receiving end of prank calls this year. But the most notable victim? That was Shedeur Sanders, who took a call from someone pretending to be New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis. Once a projected top-five pick, Sanders slid all the way to the fifth round, and while the prank didn’t cause it, it sure didn’t help.
Turns out, Sanders wasn’t the only top prospect targeted. New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter was apparently almost caught in the same mess.
Abdul Carter got pranked during 2025 NFL Draft
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carter got an unexpected (and very fake) call while the Jaguars were on the clock at No. 2 overall. The caller claimed to be from Jacksonville and told Carter he was about to be selected. Naturally, the call was total nonsense:
“It’s unfortunate that these private numbers are getting to the people making the prank calls,” said Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, via Schefter. “Abdul and I knew it was BS and didn’t even tell his family about the call.”
And good thing they didn’t. Moments later, the real call came in—from Joe Schoen and the Giants, who made Carter the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Unlike the Sanders situation, this one never spiraled into sheer madness and three days of nonstop coverage. Carter and Rosenhaus saw through the prank immediately, brushed it off, and kept it quiet until after the draft. But the incident is yet another reminder of how vulnerable the process has become.
The NFL has already fined the Atlanta Falcons and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich for a separate prank call involving Ulbrich's son and Sanders. That prank, which included impersonating a team executive, was ruled inexcusable by the league. They’re still investigating whether other teams or individuals were behind similar stunts, including Carter’s.
For Carter, it turned out to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience in what was otherwise a franchise-altering night for the G-Men. New York walked away with arguably the best defensive player in the draft. And Carter walked away with one of the better landing spots among the top picks.
The way Carter brushed it off says a lot. He stayed locked in, didn’t let the distraction throw him, and handled it like a pro. That kind of focus bodes well for what he’ll bring on Sundays. That level-headedness is exactly what the Giants were betting on. He’s here now, and that’s all that matters.