A quick glance at Abdul Carter’s rookie stat line could make the wrong kind of impression. Four sacks is the number people love to circle, and for a lot of fans, that’s where the conversation stops. But the New York Giants have seen enough to know there’s a lot more going on than that one column.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner just backed that up in a big way, slotting Carter at No. 38 on his list of the top 40 first-round players taken in the 2020s. With 191 first-round picks in the decade so far, that’s a strong vote of confidence for a player who has already started building some real buzz heading into year two.
Renner also had Jaxson Dart at No. 40 and Andrew Thomas at No. 42, while Malik Nabers came in at No. 51. The good news for the Giants is that all four are under contract beyond this season, though Nabers is still working his way back from knee surgery.
“There’s been no in-between for the Giants this decade,” Renner wrote. “They’ve either nabbed franchise cornerstones or had complete whiffs.”
Evan Neal, that’s your cue.
The bigger point with Carter is that the production underneath the sack total was strong. His 23 quarterback hits tied for 13th in the league, and only 28 players reached at least 20. That’s the kind of pressure that usually tells you a pass rusher is closer than the raw sack total suggests.
And Carter’s role already looks settled. John Harbaugh made it clear during OTAs that Carter is a starter, while Kayvon Thibodeaux is likely headed for a rotational role off the bench. With Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson both new to the building, that clarity matters.
Last season’s Giants were so tangled up in everything else - from Jaxson Dart’s concussions to Dexter Lawrence becoming a malcontent - that Carter never really became the center of the conversation. In a way, that may have helped him. In New York, where the noise never really stops, being overlooked can be a gift.
Fans were busy arguing about Dart, Lawrence, and Cam Skattebo, while Carter quietly kept showing he could get into the backfield. Now the task is obvious: turn more of those quarterback hits into sacks. If that happens, Renner’s ranking won’t look nearly as bold.
Putting Carter ahead of DeVonta Smith at No. 41, Garrett Wilson at No.
48, Drake London at No. 49, and Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 60 was a strong statement. But it wouldn’t be a shock if Carter ends up making it look smart.
In Other News...
Giants Make Long Awaited Investment In Their Football Home
The Giants are finally making a major investment in the place where their season really starts, announcing plans to expand and renovate the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford. The project is aimed squarely at the parts of football that happen long before kickoff, with upgrades centered on player performance, preparation and recovery as the team looks to modernize its football home.
The work will reshape key areas of the facility, from locker rooms and weight rooms to the sports medicine and rehabilitation space that players lean on throughout the year. It is a long-term commitment, with completion expected before the 2028 NFL season, and it signals that the organization is treating the training complex as more than just a backdrop. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Defensive Line Hit With Early Camp Problem They Could Not Afford
The Giants opened training camp with a small but meaningful hit to a defensive line group that already needed every available rep. Sam Roberts and Roy Robertson-Harris both landed on the active/PUP list, trimming the early practice pool at a spot where the team is trying to sort out who can give it workable snaps behind the starters.
For Roberts, the missed time matters because he was not exactly a lock to make the roster, and every camp practice counts in that kind of battle. Robertson-Harris brings a different layer of concern, because New York is still trying to see what it has up front as the preseason unfolds, and the thin depth on the line means these absences leave even less margin while the staff evaluates who can hold up when the rotation starts turning. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Finally Have A Real Answer To Their Kicking Problem
The Giants have spent too much time trying to solve the kicking job by committee, and this offseason has followed a familiar script. After cycling through options and getting a brief late-season lift from undrafted rookie Ben Sauls, the team entered mandatory minicamp with another open competition, this time between two first-year kickers trying to win trust before roster decisions tighten.
Dominic Zvada gave himself a clear edge by handling every chance he got, while Sauls did not have the same kind of clean showing after ending last season on a strong note. For a team that has lived through too many kicking headaches, the appeal is obvious: one rookie suddenly looks like the steadier answer, and the Giants may finally have a path toward ending a problem that has lingered far too long. [Read more 🡒]