Following the consensus among NFL Draft experts, including Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, the New York Giants went for the best player available with the No. 3 overall pick and selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Carter was in the running to be the No. 1 overall selection during the draft process and very well could have been the first player picked if the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns didn’t have the opening two selections, respectively. There were also rumblings that the Giants might try to trade out of this spot.
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Yet pass rushers are at a premium and NFL teams can’t have enough talent who can get to the quarterback. The Giants had a good pass rush in 2024, tying for eighth in the league with 45 sacks as a team. But that total was 18 behind the Denver Broncos, who led the NFL with 63 sacks. Adding Carter could push them into an elite category among the top three.
Dexter Lawrence II led the defense with nine sacks last season, followed by 8.5 from Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s 5.5. At the very least, Carter should replace Azeez Ojulari, who took his six sacks to the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency. But he will likely also be an upgrade with the potential to register 10 sacks as a rookie.
During his senior season in State College, Carter compiled 12 sacks, the third-highest total in the nation with 24 tackles for loss (tops in FBS) and 68 total tackles.
The Giants pre-empted any notion that drafting Carter might make Thibodeaux an expendable trade piece. Shortly after selecting him, general manager Joe Schoen announced to reporters that the team will pick up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option. The option is for $14.75 million, according to Spotrac.
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Thibodeaux, 24, was the Giants’ 2022 first-round pick (No. 5 overall) and has 21 sacks in his first three seasons. He notched 11.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss in his second season.
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Quarterback a reach at No. 3
Quarterback is certainly a need for the Giants and many of their fans likely preferred that the team address that need with the No. 3 pick. The team reportedly attempted to trade up to the No. 1 pick, offering multiple first-round picks, but the Titans weren’t interested.
But Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders were widely considered to be reaches at that spot, and New York reportedly eyed an opportunity to take a QB later on. That indeed happened when the Giants traded back into the first round for the Texans’ pick at No. 25 and selected Dart.
Dart will likely sit for a season to develop behind free-agent additions Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Wilson signed a one-year deal, while Winston agreed to a two-year contract. The Giants on Thursday also named Wilson the starter to begin next season.
