NY Giants' Abdul Carter Named Among Top NFL Defensive ROY Candidates

There are plenty of intriguing defensive talents entering the NFL this year. Heisman Trophy winner Although Travis Hunter was a tremendous wide receiver at Colorado, he is considered an elite cornerback prospect. Mike Green was a consensus three-star recruit before leading the country in sacks at Marshall. But New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter is widely considered the standard.

The 21-year-old outside linebacker dominated opponents in his junior campaign with the Penn State Nittany Lions, collecting 12 sacks, 24 tackles for loss and 68 combined tackles on his way to a unanimous All-American selection. The G-Men anticipate his excellence to continue in the NFL.

And so do many others. Dan Parr of NFL.com recently ranked Carter as the top candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. It is not hard to see why, but the senior editor effectively lays out the case all the same.

"He’s a force to be reckoned with off the edge, displaying the burst and relentlessness to be a perennial double-digit sack artist," Parr notes. "The Giants have a chance to be ferocious when it comes to getting after quarterbacks, and that should only boost the DROY fervor for Carter.

"He’ll be playing alongside one of the league’s top interior defensive linemen, three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence, and offenses will also have to account for his talented fellow edge rushers, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux... Carter is the decisive DROY front-runner entering the 2025 season."

The No. 3 overall pick has the necessary athleticism and array of pass-rushing moves to make a grand first impression, and he is in a defensive environment that can maximize his bountiful potential.

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Abdul Carter is eager to put on a show for NY Giants fans in 2025-26