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- The New York Giants must find a way to make rookie Abdul Carter a higher priority for the remainder of the season.
- Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has had four sacks negated by penalties this season.
- Despite a slow start, Carter is still ahead of the rookie pace of Giants legends like Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.
EAST RUTHERFORD – It’s time to unleash Abdul Carter.
With all the change that continues to unfold for the New York Giants in what has become a lost season, this remains a must for the short term (and the future, obviously):
Do not allow Carter to fade into the background for the remainder of his rookie season.
Time to make getting him going a priority.
Stop using the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as a pawn.
“I feel like it’s a lot more out there that I can do,” Carter said Wednesday. “I can be a lot more ferocious in everything that I do.”
Carter is fighting the urge to feel like he’s just been unlucky. He’s racked up a ton of quarterback pressures – 34 in 10 games, including 20 quick pressures, which rank third in the NFL – but has been stuck on a half of a sack for a while.
Carter had a sack taken off the board against the Broncos when the Giants accepted a penalty on Denver. Then he lost a sack and a half against Chicago – one he would have shared with Dexter Lawrence – because of defensive penalties against Cor’Dale Flott and Tae Banks.
“If they’re playing with energy and effort and physicality, then, you know, I think that that’s a sign of doing a good job, and I think Abdul’s done that,” Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen said. “Is the production where we would all, maybe, think it would be or want more flashy numbers and all that? Sure, right? But, he’s had some great rushes … The message is always just, keep playing good football and doing what you can to produce and the production will come. You can’t chase numbers. You just got to do your job at a high level, and you know, live with what comes from that.”
Osi Umenyiora picked up his first sack in the final game of his rookie season at home against Carolina in 2003. Justin Tuck had a total of 17 tackles over his first seven games, notching his first sack Dec. 4 at home against the Cowboys in 2005.
Both Umenyiora and Tuck are in the Giants’ Ring of Honor with two Super Bowl rings apiece.
Jason Pierre-Paul picked up his first of two sacks on Nov. 28, 2010 during his rookie season against the Jaguars.
Throughout his career, Carter has excelled by making football a thinking man’s game, having learned to attack opponents cerebrally through strategy and a plan. Don’t mistake that approach for a lack of physical gifts, however.
The Giants have not had a player who moves like the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter from that perspective in quite some time. He just casually broke out a standing back flip as an imitation of rookie teammate Cam Skattebo’s touchdown celebration coming off the practice field earlier this season.
Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was asked Thursday about Carter and whether his lack of production is a case of improvements he needs to make in his own game, or if schematically the coaches have to get more creative and put him in better position to excel.
“I think it’s a combination of both,” Bowen said. “Just continue to find ways to utilize him best, and where we can put him where he can be most productive and find some production for us. But I mean he’s battling, he’s out there competing every play.”
Carter was working after practice with Bullen with a focus on technique, most notably his hand usage and playing with extension. Kayvon Thibodeaux is dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him out of practice all week and the Giants have ruled him out for Sunday’s game.
So Carter will play an even bigger role alongside Brian Burns, who is tied for the NFL’s sack lead with 11.
“I mean, I don’t think he’s lacking confidence, I don’t,” Bowen said of Carter. “I think he’s probably a little discouraged, as all these guys are, with where we’re at right now on a unit level and an individual level. And it’s something we’re working through together to make sure we’re getting the things fixed that we need to get fixed. But I mean, I think he’s in a good spot, his approach every week has been good. Again, it comes down to our performance and being able to do those things on Sunday.”
Carter’s versatility and explosiveness as a defensive playmaker in college has often garnered comparisons to Packers star Micah Parsons, those made easier by the reality that Carter essentially took over Parsons’ role (and No. 11 jersey) in Happy Valley within the Penn State defense.
“I learned a lot from Micah,” Carter said this summer. “He took me under his wing, just starting at Penn State, wearing No. 11, that whole ‘ST1X C1TY’ tradition. But at the end of the day, I’m my own player. I’m going to be Abdul Carter.”
He added Wednesday: “Keep putting the work in. Keep being consistent. I’ll eventually – hopefully – make some plays.”
No better time for Carter to do that than Sunday on the same field as Parsons and the Packers.
