Giants draft Abdul Carter with No. 3 pick: Why pass-rusher was right choice over Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart

The New York Giants selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter is the No. 2 overall prospect in CBSSports’ final prospect rankings. 

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had been rumored to be among the conversations at No. 3 overall as well. If the franchise had a conviction about the player and held him in that regard, then he would have been the selection. Instead, they declined trade offers to stay put and draft Carter, which suggests they do have a conviction about that player. 

If New York would be happy with one of a few quarterback prospects and did not envision a big gap between Sanders and that perceived next tier, then take the blue-chip player first. The organization is picking No. 3 overall for a reason and needs to add difference-makers. They can ill afford to miss. 

Donning the No. 11 jersey that Micah Parsons had made popular before him, Carter amassed 12 sacks in his final season with the Nittany Lions after making the transition from off-ball linebacker. Over the prior two seasons, he totaled 11 sacks. 

Carter (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) did not do any testing during the pre-draft process. It was learned at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Philadelphia native had a stress reaction in his foot, but time and additional opinions led to a decision not to have surgery. 

New York was league average last season in pressure rate, according to TruMedia. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns are slated to return next season on either side of standout interior defender Dexter Lawrence. The presence of Carter now allows them to move players around and bring pressure from a variety of angles that were previously not afforded. 

The Giants have eight picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including No. 34 overall, which could be used to address the team’s need at quarterback. Since 2000, the franchise has picked within the top five overall five times; four of those occurrences have taken place in the past eight years. 

Abdul Carter NFL Draft grade: A

“They had to pass on quarterback to take the best pass rusher in the draft. When the Giants won Super Bowls, they rushed the passer. Carter adds to talent up front. They can wait on the quarterback” — Pete Prisco

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Abdul Carter NFL Draft profile

• Age as of Week 1: 21 years old
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 250 pounds

CBS prospect ranking

• Rating: 91.75 (All-Pro potential)

Position: No. 1 EDGE | Overall: No. 2

NFL comparison: Cliff Avril

Prior to this season, I arrived at Vic Beasley as a comparison for Abdul Carter, because they are of similar size and athletic ability. Beasley was raw coming out of Clemson and the same is true of Carter. The latter has proven to be a more-polished version in his new full-time role, similar to Cliff Avril, who was a comparison CBSSports.com’s Mike Renner made earlier this year. Avril played ten seasons in the NFL between the Lions and Seahawks. He accumulated 74 career sacks and 30 forced fumbles. — Josh Edwards

Abdul Carter NFL Draft scouting report

Abdul Carter has been a productive pass rusher in his first full season fulfilling that obligation for the Nittany Lions. Carter is a bit shorter in stature, but makes up for that with his ability to bend at the waist and flatten at the high side of his rush. The Philadelphia native is still learning the intricacies of the position, such as block awareness.

About

• 2023-24: Two-time first-team All-Big Ten
• 2024: Bednarik Award finalist (nation’s best defender)
• 2024: Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year

Strengths

• Great waist bend at the high side of his rush: Carter displays good flexibility to dip and bend the corner to the quarterback.
• Good play strength: Carter shows an ability to hold up against pressure as he is pushing upfield.
• Good quickness: He shows good quickness to exploit oversetting linemen.

Weaknesses

• Experience at edge rusher: Carter transitioned to a true edge rusher role from off-ball linebacker this offseason. Block awareness can improve.
• Coming to balance in space: Carter had a 27.6% missed tackle rate in 2023, per TruMedia, when he was serving as an off-ball linebacker. There were still examples from this season.
• Shorter in stature: His length is more of a question than a concern, because it does not impede his performance. It will be interesting to learn his wingspan, but 6-foot-3 is usually a bit small for a potential top-10 overall selection.