NY Giants OLB Abdul Carter Leaving No Stone Unturned in Quest for Excellence

Abdul Carter is a no-nonsense player who is eager to learn as much as he can from his veteran teammates so he can become the best version of himself.

New York Giants linebacker, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York Giants rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter came into East Rutherford with all the fanfare one might expect the third overall draft pick would get following a successful collegiate career.

But lest anyone think Carter is strutting around like he thinks he has all the answers, which is a mistake some first-round picks have been known to do, Carter has remained an eager beaver to learn at the feet of his veteran teammates, to whom he gives the utmost respect.

Such was the case when Carter, who was one of three players scheduled to speak to the media after Wednesday's joint practice with the New York Jets wrapped up, got to the podium ahead of teammate Brian Burns. 

Burns, clearly exhausted from the hot and humid day, gave his young teammate a high five before telling him to step down from the podium because Burns wanted to go first.

Abdul Carter was about to go first, but Brian Burns wasn't having it 😭 pic.twitter.com/dwvvpwdkKb

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 13, 2025

Carter smiled and stepped aside like a good rookie teammate would do, waiting for Burns to finish his session before finally stepping in front of the media.

Carter is a man of few words who is all about business. Having made a public vow not to get a haircut until he logs his first sack (which he redacted wouldn’t be much longer), Carter is doing everything he can to improve by remaining a blank to his coaches and his teammates, who have happily taken the young man under their wing.

“I’m learning a lot,” Carter said when he finally took the podium. “Every day, every practice, they’re out here teaching me new things, trying to help me out. I’m just learning everything.

His teammates have helped him to get more comfortable in the Giants’ defense, and Carter has been a willing participant in doing everything and anything needed of him–including carrying teammates’ helmets after a long, hot day of training camp practice.

But that’s all important to Carter, who is trying to build chemistry with his teammates in every little way possible.  

The voices in his ear

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has taken a big role in helping Abdul Carter reach his full potential. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Carter has a plethora of teammates he can go to if he has a question about the defense, but the most consistent voices to date have been Burns and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.

“(Lawrence)  sits right behind me in the meeting room, so I’m always talking with him, trying to get better,” Carter said. “He helps me a lot.”

So too does Burns.

“If you want to pick a guy, like a perfect guy to watch in terms of how you practice, how you prepare and just how you play the game and show your love for the game, he’s a guy I’d say you watch,” Carter said.

Lawrence, who spoke with reporters on Tuesday after the first of the two joint practices with the Jets, smiled slyly when asked about Carter.

"I don't know yet. We'll see. We'll see. We'll see with him (laughs)."

Determined to deliver 

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll instructs linebacker Brian Burns (0) and linebacker Abdul Carter (51) during drills during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Carter knows exactly what his job is, and that’s to disrupt the opposing offensive backfield as much as he possibly can on every play.

“That’s what they brought me here to do, so I take a lot of pride in that, and that’s what I do best,” he said.

But as far as all the accolades he’s been getting are concerned, Carter is a realist. He knows that all the accolades he and his fellow defenders are getting, while nice, are not enough to build a house on. 

“It’s all cool, but you can’t get into it too much,” he said. “I feel like once you start to drown yourself in that, you can get distracted, so I feel like what those guys are saying in terms of us not proving it yet is real. We got to get to the season and show that dominance before we can call ourselves anything.”

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