The New York Giants grabbed former Penn State LB Abdul Carter with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The 2024 All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is excited to join the Giants.
“Yeah, it’s definitely surreal,” he said. “I’m pretty much at a loss for words. I’m just really excited, really blessed. I’m just ready to celebrate this moment with my family. It’s just really dope.”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll had high praise for the 21-year-old Carter.
“He’s a great kid, and he’s an exceptional player,” Daboll said. “He’s got great quickness, bend, he’s hard to block. He played off the ball the year before, and he has some instincts in that area, as well, smart. Just had a really good meeting with him, and then he was up here — fun guy to evaluate.”
Giants GM Joe Schoen added: “He was always a guy that was on our radar that was a special talent, and again, we were just fortunate to be able to land him.”
Carter, who had 12.0 sacks last season at Penn State, will join a defensive front featuring Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Carter feels that line will be big-time next season.
“Yeah, we’re going to be dominant,” Carter said. “It’s going to be dope just getting to know those guys as a person, getting to know them as men and then getting closer as teammates, and then once we get on the field together, just wreak havoc.”
The Philadelphia native rooted for his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles, at the Super Bowl. Now he’s a Giant, and Carter is happy his family will be very close to him.
“Yeah, it’s dope,” he said. “My parents are an hour and a half away. They can come and see me anytime they want. It’s just really dope being in New York, being in the biggest city in the world. It’s really a dream.”
This is a solid pick for the Giants. In a pass-happy league, it’s always good to have players who can rush the passer, and with the addition of Carter, who says he’s healthy after dealing with a foot injury, the Giants have a guy who should be able to get after the quarterback.
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