The New York Giants had a big need for a quarterback.
However, instead of taking Shedeur Sanders as some speculated, they went for a defensive stalwart.
Abdul Carter was in the mix to be the No. 1 pick at one point, and having him fall to their laps was a blessing.
Notably, it didn’t take long before he showed why.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger had plenty of good things to say about him (via NFL GameDay):
“You’ve got to watch Abdul Carter. Every single day, he flashes. His movement is elite. He’s got all the different moves. You just see him turn the corner, drop the hips, he can bend, they line him up everywhere. He’s kind of a joker. You can’t help but notice Abdul Carter. Every Giants fan knows what a great pass-rusher looks like,” Baldinger said.
“You can’t help but notice @1NCRDB1” @BaldyNFL was impressed with the rookies debut pic.twitter.com/2jGhyEmYo3
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) August 9, 2025
Carter has the makings of a generational defensive force.
While he’s not as versatile as Micah Parsons at this point in his career, he could follow in his fellow Nittany Lion’s steps and also line up at multiple positions on defense.
He’s had an outstanding nose for the ball and is a privileged athlete who overpowers his opposition with strength but also with technique and footwork.
The Giants’ defense was far better than their offense, and adding another pass-rushing threat to the mix will certainly help them.
Carter will make an immediate impact and should be the odds-on favorite to run away with Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Again, just like with Parsons, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him also be among the odds-on favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie.
The Giants still have to walk a long way to come even close to some of the teams in their own division, but adding Carter to the mix was the first building block on that road.
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