Abdul Carter Drafted By Giants at No. 3 and NFL Fans Praise NY's DL for 2025 Season

Heading into the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday , the expectation was that Abdul Carter would be a top-three pick. And that's exactly how it played out.

The Penn State edge-rusher didn't have to wait long to hear his name called, as the New York Giants selected him No. 3 overall after Cam Ward went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans and Travis Hunter was selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars following a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns.

Generally speaking, the reaction on social media after the selection was that Giants made the logical play, adding the top pass-rusher in this year's draft, with even New York's veterans reacting to the pick:

The B/R NFL Scouting Department has compared Carter to Von Miller, calling him an "elite athlete, which gives him a high ceiling as a pass-rusher at the next level" and a player who can "immediately contribute as a pass-rusher to begin his NFL career and should develop into a complete player with more reps on the edge."

That scouting report added that "his use of hands as a pass rusher is still a work in progress at this point" and his "block recognition against the run isn't there yet, which is most noticeable against pullers." At this point, he "lacks the strength to get extension and consistently hold his ground against offensive tackles in the running game. However, he did improve in this area toward the end of the 2024 season and has room for growth on his frame to pack on some muscle."

It was no surprise, then, that the B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked Carter as the No. 2 overall player on its final big board. And the general belief heading into the draft was that Carter would be the No. 3 overall pick to the Giants.

Ultimately, that proved to be true. New York has to feel pretty happy with the result.