Signs Point to Giants' OLB Abdul Carter Being on the Verge of a Breakout 2026 Season

New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter recorded 66 pressures as a rookie, 13 more than NFC sacks leader and Giants star edge rusher Brian Burns. And Carter, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, is just getting started.

With Super Bowl XLVII champion John Harbaugh and the highly creative Dennard Wilson serving as the new head coach and new defensive coordinator, respectively, Carter is positioned for a star-making 2026 season.

Eva Geitheim of Sports Illustrated agrees, as she named the second-year outside linebacker as the Giants' breakout candidate. When evaluating his skill set and surveying the rest of the roster, it is hard to argue with Geitheim’s selection.

The evidence is there. Carter recorded 3.5 of his 4.0 sacks in the month of December. With the additions to the defense, like defensive lineman DJ Reader up front and inside linebacker Arvell Reese, Carter’s chances to get home more frequently in 2026 look even more promising than they did in his rookie campaign.

He just needs to stay focused and healthy. Carter was a polarizing figure who drew justified criticism for being tardy to multiple scheduled team events last season, an action that led to him being benched twice late in the year by interim head coach Mike Kafka.

Besides being more consistently responsible, the 6-foot-3, 252-pound pass-rusher must also do everything possible to compete on Sundays on every snap. He suffered an ankle injury during mandatory minicamp, but the team does not seem concerned.

His explosive first step is the defining trait of his game. Last year, Carter, per NFL NextGen Stats, averaged 2.39 seconds to pressure the quarterback. His 48 quick pressures ranked first among all defenders in 2025.

Wilson told reporters back in April that he loves the versatility Carter brings to the table.

“Last year and even at Penn State, the way he was used, you can move him off the ball; he can be the spinner on third downs,” he said.

If Carter can stay healthy, thrive in this new-look, more aggressive defense, and continue building his pass rush arsenal, he can not only help set the Giants up for a postseason berth, he could also put himself squarely into the year-end "Defensive Player of the Year" discussion.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.

Add us as a preferred source on Google