Abdul Carter has officially followed through on a childhood promise of becoming a first-round draft selection. The standout Penn State defensive end, who became the 15th unanimous consensus All-American in program history this past season, was selected by the New York Giants with the No. 3 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound Carter has now become the highest-drafted Nittany Lion defensive player since Courtney Brown and LaVar Arrington were picked with each of the top two selections in 2000. He’s also the program’s first top-three pick since Saquon Barkley was drafted by the Giants with the No. 2 overall selection in 2018.
Carter led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss in his first season as a defensive end, and ranked second in the Big Ten with 12 sacks.
His first two seasons as a linebacker aren’t anything to gloss over, either. Carter finished his three-year Penn State career with 172 tackles, 39.5 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, five forced fumbles and 13 pass breakups across 42 game appearances. His versatility as a pass rusher who can also drop into coverage should make him an intriguing option in New York.
By Thursday night’s conclusion, Carter and tight end Tyler Warren became the Nittany Lions’ sixth and seventh first-round selections over the past five drafts, as Warren was selected No. 14 by the Indianapolis Colts. They would also follow in the footsteps of Olu Fashanu and Chop Robinson as the second consecutive pair of Penn State players taken in the first round.
Carter immediately becomes a quintessential piece of a Giants team that possesses one of the most promising pass-rushing corps in the NFL. He should slot in nicely alongside star edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
New York will enter the 2025 season looking to return to the playoffs for the first time in four years.
