Abdul Carter, Giants Agree to 4-Year, $45.3M Rookie Contract After 2025 NFL Draft

It's officially official for the New York Giants.

The team agreed to terms with No. 3 overall draft pick Abdul Carter on his rookie contract on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

According to ESPN's Field Yates, the Giants converted $16 million of Brian Burns' base salary into a signing bonus, which gave them enough cap room to sign Carter on Thursday.

Here's an annual breakdown of Carter's rookie deal, according to Spotrac:

Abdul Carter Rookie Contract

The Giants kept it simple when they took the Penn State edge-rusher.

Early in the predraft process, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was a popular name for New York. Over time, Sanders' stock slid, and it became clear there wasn't a QB aside from Miami's Cam Ward who was worthy of a top-five selection.

With Ward and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter gone when the Giants were on the clock, Carter was the best prospect available.

The 2024 All-American ranked second on Bleacher Report's final big board with an overall grade of 9.1. As a junior with the Nittany Lions, he had 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss.

New York totaled 45 sacks, which tied for eighth in the NFL, and two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns still has four years left on his $141 million extension. Upgrading the pass rush wasn't necessarily a top priority.

It's doubtful many fans were disappointed to see Carter holding a Giants jersey on draft day, though.

"The New York Giants avoided the allure of taking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders," B/R's Brent Sobleski wrote in his immediate reaction on draft night. "Instead, they selected Abdul Carter, the one player who had an argument as the class’ best player over Travis Hunter, whom the Jacksonville Jaguars selected one pick earlier. 

"A year ago, the Giants made a big play for Brian Burns to inject some life into their pass rush. With Carter playing opposite Burns and Dexter Lawrence wrecking the middle of an offensive line, New York's old identity is new again. The G-Men will be built around a mega-talented defensive front."

Much of the franchise's future hinges on whether Jaxson Dart, whom New York traded back into the first round to get, proves to be the answer at quarterback. Having a potentially dominant front seven on defense will undoubtedly provide a solid foundation moving forward.