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New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Of all the wildly optimistic takes that have come tumbling out in the preseason, perhaps none have been as delusional as the ones surrounding the New York Giants.
Having 2 first round picks in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft seems to have gassed the Giants fanbase and even expert media observers up to the point where it seems like, despite going 3-14 in 2024 and having a lame duck head coach in Brian Daboll, there is some optimism over what the team might achieve in 2025.
Much of that optimism stems from having what’s perceived as an elite defensive front led by defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and a trio of edge rushers in Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and 2025 first round pick Abdul Carter.
Out of that group, it’s Carter who has generated the most buzz throughout the preseason. ESPN’s Peter Schrager believes the Giants might have a chance to make a definitive statement — led by Carter — when they travel to face the Washington Commanders on Sunday, September 7, in the regular season opener.
“Abdul Carter has been, to a man, unblockable,” Schrager said during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on September 3. ” … You guys don’t get it. He’s that good. (The Giants) love their defense.”
Carter Utterly Dominated College Competition
Carter, 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds, was a dominant pass rusher in 3 seasons at Penn State, where he was a 3-time All-Big Ten pick.
In his final season in 2024, Carter racked up 68 tackles, 12.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and led the FBS with 23.5 TFL. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American and led the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoffs.
The Giants selected Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in 2025 and signed him to a 4-year, $45.25 million rookie contract.
“Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside … Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.”
Even with all that good will, Carter still found a way to make things awkward after he asked a pair of Giants legends — linebacker Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms — to unretire their jersey numbers for him and both refused.
Commanders Focused On Improving Offensive Line
After making the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 last season, the Commanders focused their offseason efforts on building a Super Bowl contender around superstar second year quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Those efforts were most pronounced on improving the offensive side of the ball and specifically on the offensive line, where they made 2 high profile moves.
First, the Commanders traded with the Houston Texans to bring in an elite left offensive tackle with 5-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil.
Washington followed that by using their 2025 first round pick (No. 30 overall) on University of Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who quickly became the starter at right offensive tackle.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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