One of the blue chip prospects in this draft class lands in New York
With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the New York Giants on Thursday night selected Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter.
The Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 and the Cleveland Browns took cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter No. 2. That left the Giants to choose between Carter, selecting a quarterback, or trading out of the third overall pick.
They chose Carter, adding him to an edge group that already includes Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns.
The Tennessee Titans took quarterback Cam Ward No. 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up from No. 5 with the Cleveland Browns to select wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter No. 2.
Valentine’s View
This was the right pick. GM Joe Schoen said prior to the draft that when you have a chance to draft a blue chip kind of prospect “you don’t pass on that type of player.”
He didn’t.
The question is, what happens now? Will the Giants leave it to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to figure out how to get Carter, Burns and Thibodeaux on the field together? Could the Giants build a trade package around Thibodeaux to move from No. 34 up into the first round to get a quarterback?
We will find out soon enough.
Scouting reports
College football analyst Joel Klatt said recently that “Carter could have an even bigger impact than Micah Parsons in the National Football League.”
Here are a few pre-draft scouting reports:
Pro Football Focus:
It’s hard not to see some Micah Parsons in Carter, who not only wears the same No. 11 but also pops off the screen nearly every play due to being a rare caliber athlete. If he can get even stronger, he has All-Pro potential as a player worthy of a top-five pick.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic:
Carter needs continued polish in his attack. His arrow is pointing sky high, though, because of his get-of burst, body twitch and competitive intensity. Despite having average size for run-game responsibilities, he regains his balance quickly after taking a jolt from blockers and plays with tremendous range to slip blocks and close in a flash. Overall, Carter is a disruptive presence, because of his explosive nature and how he mixes up his rushes to win with speed, force and a budding arsenal of moves. He projects as a 1A pass rusher, with a gift for consistently making the quarterback move his feet and making plays in the run game.
SB Nation:
The best pass rusher in the class. He’s following directly in the footsteps of former Nittany Lions standout Micah Parsons who has done nothing but dominate since entering the NFL back in 2021. Carter’s first-step explosiveness is so apparent at times that you can foresee a sack happening before his second step hits the turf. Even though 2024 was his first season as a full-time pass rusher, the level of nuance and comfort he shows as he executes his pass rush looks as though he’s been at it for years. If offensive tackles want to jump out at him to defend the corner, he’ll counter with a nasty spin move. If they don’t get out fast enough, he wins the corner with ease. Carter’s style of rush is rapid, violent, and overwhelming. Like Parsons before him, he looks like a player who simply knows he’s a better athlete than anyone who lines up in front of him.
Giants round-by-round draft selections
Round 1 (No. 3) — Abdul Carter
Round 2 (No. 34) —
Round 3 (No. 65) —
Round 3 (No. 99) —
Round 4 (No. 105) —
Round 5 (No. 154) —
Round 7 (No. 219) —
Round 7 (No. 246) —
More draft coverage
- 2025 NFL Draft – Official Big Blue View Big Board
- Pre-draft ‘things I think’: New York Giants GM Joe Schoen has unenviable task
- Big Blue View rules for draft success, 2025 edition
- New York Giants draft scouting reports: All of BBV’s prospect profiles
- New York Giants Draft Hub Page
- Quarterback scouting reports: What NFL Draft analysts, scouts are saying about 2025 class
- SB Nation’s position-by-position prospect rankings
How to watch the rest of the draft
- Rounds 2–3: Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET
- Rounds 4–7: Saturday, April 26 at Noon ET
TV Channels: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
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