It seems as though everyone has been buying into the Abdul Carter hype prior to his NFL debut. Playing in New York comes with expectations and scrutiny, but it also comes with plenty of spotlight. And he’s wasted no time taking advantage of the bright lights.
The No. 3 overall pick from April’s draft has quickly made his presence felt at training camp, flashing the same athleticism and explosiveness that led him to be named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Nicknamed “Darth Vader”, he has been so dominant off the edge that Giants players and coaches are starting to believe they landed another franchise cornerstone just one year after taking Malik Nabers in 2024. With each passing practice, he has continued to display why the Giants made him one of the top selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
And all of this is happening before Carter has even recorded a professional snap.
The former Penn State standout has been tabbed as the Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner and has even been called one of the brightest young pass-rushers in football. But now, a new source of buzz is coming in the form of his Madden NFL 26 rating.
The 21-year-old received a rating of 81 overall entering his rookie season. It’s a solid number for a first-year player and reinforces the fact he will be asked to make an instant impact with Big Blue.
Quarterbacks beware, @1NCRDB1 is taking names!#Madden26Ratings | @Giants pic.twitter.com/VgwpI4aPag
— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 30, 2025
Abdul Carter's Madden rating is giving Giants fans a glimpse of what’s to come
Carter is still in just his second season as a full-time edge rusher, a fact many gloss over when talking about his NFL expectations. Despite the transition from linebacker, he amassed 12.0 sacks, 68 tackles, and forced two fumbles in his junior season in Happy Valley.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound All-American also received the third-highest rating among all rookies selected during the 2025 NFL Draft. He is trailing only Jaguars two-way star Travis Hunter (84) and Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (83) in the ratings department. However, Carter is the highest-rated full-time defensive player in the class.
Carter’s rating is also 10 points higher than the No. 1 pick in the 2025 Draft, Titans quarterback Cam Ward. If that isn’t a testament to his immediate expectations, I don’t know what is.
That kind of company says a lot, and for the Giants, it might just confirm what they’re already starting to see firsthand: Carter is built different.
Now, the Philadelphia native is playing with a defensive line room consisting of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, Darius Alexander, Chauncey Golston, and Roy Robertson-Harris. Against what might be the NFL’s best defensive front, teams can’t even afford to double-team him.
The message here is loud and clear: his 81 overall rating will quickly ascend.