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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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When the New York Giants selected Abdul Carter with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he was viewed as a potential generational pass rusher, the kind of talent franchises build around. That's why his first season in New York felt like a letdown to some, even though he actually put together one of the better seasons of any rookie in the league.
Carter finished the 2025 season with 43 combined tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and two forced fumbles. At one point, people were comparing him to Micah Parsons, so it's easy to see why those numbers don't jump off the page.
But Carter also posted 72 total quarterback pressures, including a league-leading 48 "quick" pressures that came in under 2.5 seconds. His 84.5 PFF pass-rush grade ranked 11th among 115 qualified edge rushers, and his overall PFF grade of 74.7 ranked 29th. He also played 844 snaps as a rookie, the eighth most at the position.
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It's worth noting as well that he improved as the season went on. 3.5 of his four sacks came over the last five games of the season, and for most of the year, he was still finding his way. But now he's got a full year under his belt and is ready to break out in 2026.
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The Giants' new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is bringing in an aggressive, attacking, and disguise-heavy scheme designed to manufacture more one-on-one matchups, opening the door for an elite pass rusher like Carter to do real damage.
He's also got plenty of talent around him that defenses will be forced to pay attention to as well. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, this year's fifth overall pick Arvell Reese, and veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds round out a loaded front that should wreak havoc on opposing teams.
Wilson has already talked about wanting "organized chaos" up front, with players capable of flying off the edge or dropping back into the second level of the formation. A dynamic talent like Carter should thrive in situations where the offense is left guessing.
With Burns and Thibodeaux drawing away extra blockers, and a full NFL season now in the bank, most evaluators expect the sack total to finally catch up with the pressure numbers. If it does, you're looking at one of the league's next elite edge rushers.
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