Those who only looked at Abdul Carter’s rookie sack numbers may have already deemed the New York Giants’ latest young edge rusher a bust.
Giants fans have seen their share of first-round failures lately, so they know that Carter fared far better than his four sacks would have you think, and he’s continued drawing praise and buzz throughout the offseason. There’s a sense of genuine optimism around Carter ahead of his second season, and even CBS Sports agrees.
Yes, you read correctly. Although the national media has been brutally unfair to the Giants all summer, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has seen enough of Carter to deem him one of the top 40 first-round players taken in the 2020s. Thus far, there have been 191 first-round picks, and Renner placed Carter No. 38.
Jaxson Dart (No. 40) and Andrew Thomas (No. 42) both cracked the top 50, with Malik Nabers ranking No. 51. Luckily for the Giants, all four are under contract beyond this year, though Nabers is working his way back from knee surgery.
“There’s been no in-between for the Giants this decade,” Renner wrote. “They’ve either nabbed franchise cornerstones or had complete whiffs.”
Evan Neal, that’s your cue.
CBS Sports is buying high on Abdul Carter, and so are we
You’ll hear me continue to say it, but don’t read too much into Carter’s four sacks. His 23 quarterback hits tied for 13th league-wide, and he was among only 28 players to record at least 20.
Above all else, we know that Carter won’t be competing for snaps during training camp. John Harbaugh left no doubt during OTAs that Carter is a starter and Kayvon Thibodeaux will likely come off the bench as a rotational pass-rusher. Not that there should have been any question about Carter’s role, but Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson are both newcomers.
The Giants’ many on- and off-field issues last year, ranging from Jaxson Dart’s concussions to Dexter Lawrence becoming a malcontent, allowed Carter to go under the radar. In hindsight, perhaps that could work in his favor, especially in the New York market. WFAN callers and irate social media users were so focused on Dart, Lawrence, and Cam Skattebo that they didn’t bother to question whether Carter was destined to follow the likes of Neal and Deonte Banks on the all-time bust lists.
And if that sounds dramatic, then you haven’t been around New York sports long enough. Giants fans are hungry for consistent playmakers, and Carter has proved that he’s capable of getting into the backfield. The next mission is turning some of those quarterback hits into sacks, and his development under Harbaugh and Wilson will be fascinating.
Putting Carter above the likes of DeVonta Smith (No. 41), Garrett Wilson (No. 48), Drake London (No. 49), and Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 60) was certainly a choice. Just don’t be surprised when Carter validates Renner’s unexpected faith.
Add us as a preferred source on Google