What pre-draft scouting reports said about New York Giants EDGE Abdul Carter

[ASFN Admin]

The New York Giants were busy during Round 1 of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night in Green Bay, making a total of two picks despite entering the day with just one.

Notably, the Giants traded back up into the first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, which was considered a big splash. But the biggest splash came earlier in the night when they selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall.

Here's a look back at what the pre-draft scouting reports had to say about Carter.

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com​

From Lance Zierlein:

Carter has the urgency and athletic talent to bombard the stat sheet. He’s always first out and first into contact after the snap but can dart into gaps or around blocks as a penetrator. He’s willing to scrap at the point of attack; additional time in the weight room might be in order for his move up in class. Carter rushes with a rabid, all-game intensity that’s hard for opponents to match. He explodes out of the blocks and can force tackles to abandon their technique to go catch him. He can bend and flatten at the top of the rush or hit a game-breaking spin counter inside. He’s good with his hands but needs to keep working in that area to prevent long punchers from knocking him off-course. Carter’s explosiveness, hunger and body control should have him on track to become a highly productive 3-4 rush linebacker with Pro Bowl talent.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic​

From Dane Brugler:

A three-year starter at Penn State, Carter lined up as a wide rusher in former defensive coordinator Tom Allen's four-man line, standing up and rushing with his hand on the ground. After initially wanting to stay at of-ball linebacker, he made the transition to an edge role in 2024 and lived up to high expectations, ranking No. 1 in the FBS in tackles for loss (23.5), No. 2 in pressures (66) and No. 7 in sacks (12.5). His production matches his traits, and his impact was best captured in a 2024 Orange Bowl loss to Notre Dame, even though Carter played that game with an injured left shoulder.

With only one season under his belt as a true edge rusher, 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.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN​

From Mel Kiper Jr.:

Carter has experience operating as an off-ball linebacker and also making a dent in opponents' game plans as a pass rusher off the edge. He kicked over to the latter full time last season, and he absolutely has the traits to wreak havoc there, getting pressure on 18.5% of his pass-rush snaps. He is instinctive and fast flying to the football. Carter's 23.5 tackles for loss last season ranked No. 1 in the nation.

We learned during combine week that Carter has a stress reaction in his right foot. However, he will not have surgery.

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network​

From Ian Cummings:

Abdul Carter is the top-ranked prospect on PFN’s board and a blue-chip EDGE talent in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s an impressive feat, considering that 2024 was his first season playing EDGE full-time. As one might expect, being a young EDGE at just 6’3″, 250 pounds, Carter still has room to improve his run defense, and he’s never going to be immovable against combos and duo blocks.

But as a pass-rusher and pursuit threat, Carter has a kind of instant explosiveness and closing speed that’s near-impossible to replicate, and he builds upon that generational burst with speed-to-power, wicked bend capacity, and strong, intentional hand usage. Additionally, his off-ball background gives him the versatility to rush gaps, disguise blitzes, and drop in coverage. At his peak, he can be an absolute game-wrecker.

Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus​

From Trevor Sikkema:

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.

Ryan Fowler, The Draft network​

From Ryan Fowler:

A gifted football player, Carter is an athletic, long, and rangy defender who showcases the ability to sniff out run concepts and make plays downfield in coverage. While Carter’s role will remain that of a hybrid player due to his ability to play in space, his potential as a pass rusher and off-ball linebacker showcases one of the draft’s elite defenders.

As a pass rusher, Carter’s potential is limitless. He has shown the ability to win as an athlete with explosion and speed, while also displaying the hands and bend to win technically. Carter moves extremely well at his size, and can often win the rep with the quickness and agility of his lower half before he ever engages opponents. He has displayed the ability to win with power, but his elite traits are showcased in his ability to fire off of the snap and footwork as he works to the top of his rush. He’s a nightmare to counter in isolated scenarios and will likely force teams at the NFL level to chip or double his side early in his career. He will dominate less athletic tackles at the pro level who can’t slide, shuffle, anchor, and maintain balance at high speeds.

Against the run, Carter is sensational in sniffing out gaps and wrangling down ball-carriers at or behind the line of scrimmage. He will often beat pulling guards or tackles to the alley. Violent trigger downhill that arrives with a physicality you like to see in players of his stature. Arrives at contact high at times, but is a technically refined tackler who uses a variety of ways to get running backs to the turf. His experience as a linebacker showcases well in working off of or working around lineman to find ball-carriers. Footwork and agility are extremely smooth when sliding down the line of scrimmage before triggering. Carter also has the necessary burst to run with and chase down athletes in the fringe areas.

While Carter projects immediately as a core edge defender, his snaps in coverage showcase a unique type of athlete within a front seven with the potential to make an impact at a variety of spots. Carter’s head remains on a swivel to locate potential zone sitters or crossers behind his ear and he has fantastic playmaking ability and fluid hips to redirect and accelerate toward the play or vacant targets. Minimal work in space compared to prior years, but his tipped pass up the seam vs. Ohio State last fall displayed his athleticism and playmaking prowess. Experience in man and zone that will translate to the next level. No issues in throwing Carter on an island against an RB or TE.

Concerns remain about Carter’s pad level against the run, where more physical ball-carriers will play through his contact to gain extra yards. Playing with and exploding via added depth in his lower half at contact will assist in that area. Utilizing length and hand counters when met with free blockers will help in locating and attacking ball-carriers. The turning of his shoulder to deke linemen will often cause Carter to lose vision of the play. It’s a minor issue, however.

Overall, Carter’s blend of production at multiple levels within a defense showcases an elite prospect. Carter’s instincts and playmaking ability in multiple facets set the stage for a highly intriguing chess piece that can play all over a front seven, with projectable traits that could see him evolve into an All-Pro type of defender.

Kyle Crabbs, The 33rd Team​

From Kyle Crabbs:

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter is one of the most fascinating prospects eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter has electric traits as a pass rusher and a different gear on the edge that will allow him to threaten pass rush sets with dynamic speed or explosive power.

He’s a standout disruption talent who has provided ample optimism amid his transition to playing full-time on the edge after several years at stack linebacker. He’s got the violent hands, flexibility, and twitch necessary to find an early role at the pro level. However, he likely needs an implementation and development plan to ensure he lives up to the rare multifaceted talent he’s capable of becoming.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: What pre-draft scouting reports said about Giants EDGE Abdul Carter

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