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4 hours ago
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The New York Giants bolstered their pass-rush Thursday night, taking Penn State star Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The draft began in a predictable way given the selections of Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado star Travis Hunter — albeit with a surprise trade-up. Thus, the Giants stood pat and took a blue-chip prospect.
Despite the long-term need at quarterback, the Giants added a cornerstone piece in the form of Carter, who will immediately bolster the pass rush alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns.
Carter is an intriguing prospect considering his switch from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher in 2024. He excelled in the new role, racking up 12 sacks and 66 total pressures across 16 games during his final season.
Here's what the NFL draft scouting reports said about Carter ahead of the draft:
Abdul Carter scouting report
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide):
Brugler: "Overall, Carter is a disruptive presence, because of his explosive nature and how he mixes up his rushes to win with speed, force and a budding arsenal of moves. He projects as a 1A pass rusher, with a gift for consistently making the quarterback move his feet and making plays in the run game."
Zierlein: "Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match. 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. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. 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."
Holder: "Schematically, he'd be a good fit as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts. He also can be used to drop in coverage occasionally, given his athleticism and background as an off-ball linebacker."
Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network
Cummings: "Carter transitioned from off-ball linebacker to EDGE in 2024 and didn’t waste any time becoming a nightmarish force for opposing tackles. He led the nation with 24 TFLs in an All-American campaign and also registered 12 sacks on the rush. At 6’3″, 250 pounds, Carter’s first step is truly an anomaly. He has teleporting explosiveness that can’t be matched, he can bend while keeping speed, he can engulf runners in pursuit, and he can erode extensions with his ferocious compact power."
PFF: "It's hard not to see some Micah Parsons in Carter, who not only wears the same No. 11 but also pops off the screen nearly every play due to being a rare caliber athlete. If he can get even stronger, he has All-Pro potential as a player worthy of a top-five pick."
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