Giants OLB Abdul Carter Projected to Make Huge Impact in Rookie Season

The early projections for Giants OLB Abdul Carter are certainly tantalizing.

Abdul Carter, outside linebacker with the NY Giants, speaks with head coach Brian Daboll during practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, May 28, 2025. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After watching their beloved franchise lose 10-plus games in seven of the last eight seasons, New York Giants fans have conditioned themselves to temper their expectations. But a potential generational talent is testing their self-control.

Although former Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter was the in the 2025 NFL Draft, many people dubbed him the best player in the class.

His scintillating combination of speed, skill, motor, and adaptability both amazed and flustered Big Ten teams last year. Carter is expected to elicit the same reactions in the pros.

The unanimous All-American arrived in the Meadowlands with an overwhelming amount of hype surrounding him, and it only intensified after he attempted and failed to procure all-time great .  

Even his most enthusiastic supporters will stop short of putting him in the same category as arguably the most dominant outside linebacker to ever live. Still, they hope to witness something special in the years to come. Analysts are anticipating the same.

Gridiron Grading is projecting Carter to finish with 57.0 pass-rush wins, 49.5 pressures, and 9.8 sacks. If the 21-year-old posts those kinds of numbers next season, he should win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Projecting the Top 15 rookie pass rushers (EDGE + DT), by pass rush wins.

Projections are based on final-season college production and draft capital.

Expecting early impact from the Giants, Falcons, and Panthers rookies. pic.twitter.com/3QWlqnuHfO

— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) May 21, 2025

More importantly, the Giants would probably boast one of the top front-seven units in the league. And that is exactly what general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were banking on when they welcomed Abdul Carter to the team in April.

Can Carter push the Giants forward to the next phase?

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is tasked with helping Dexter Lawrence II and Brian Burns, among others, restore the defense to its glory days. If he fulfills that lofty, unofficial mission, then the franchise as a whole will be headed for much happier days.

Carter's collegiate production suggests he can shoulder a heavy burden. According to Pro Football Focus, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year notched a stellar and 92.4 pass-rush grade in 2024.

May 10, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter (51) during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Consistently maneuvering past offensive linemen, Carter racked up 12 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, and 43 solo tackles en route to leading the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff Semifinals. 

Penn State did not shed the "fraud" label, failing to earn a signature win all season, but because of this elite athlete, the program enjoyed its most successful campaign in arguably two decades.

He will try to have a similarly transformative impact on the Giants. It is wise to exercise patience in the early goings, especially since defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has many mouths to feed on the defensive line. However, game-changers always find a way to make their presence known.

Carter has to validate that label at the NFL level, but he seemingly possesses the ability and intangibles to warrant all the grand prognostications.

No. 51, who recently signed his fully guaranteed four-year, , is eager to craft what the Giants community hopes is an unforgettable legacy.

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