The New York Giants are still on the hunt for a quarterback of the future as the 2025 NFL Draft nears. They signed veteran QB Jameis Winston in free agency but will aim to add a quarterback early in April’s draft.
However, picking third overall with two quarterback-needy teams in front of them, the Giants are at risk of missing out on one of the top two quarterback prospects. What direction do they pivot in that nightmare scenario?
Giants take best player available after missing on quarterback in PFF’s latest mock draft
The latest mock draft from Josh Liskiewitz of Pro Football Focus explored that scenario. In this mock draft, Miami QB Cam Ward went off the board to the Tennessee Titans with the No. 1 pick, then Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders was taken second overall by the Cleveland Browns. This left the Giants with a difficult decision: reach for the class’s QB3 or take the best player available?
Instead of forcing a quarterback selection here, Liskiewitz projected that the Giants would select Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter:
“Bottom Line: It’s hard not to see some Micah Parsons in Carter, who not only wears the same No. 11 but also pops off the screen nearly every play due to being a rare caliber athlete,” Liskiewitz explained of the selection. “If he can get even stronger, he has All-Pro potential as a player worthy of a top-five pick.”
Landing Carter would be quite the consolation prize if the Giants missed out on a quarterback. Carter’s “All-Pro potential” comes as a disruptive pass-rusher that could help Big Blue form a dominant defensive front in 2025.
Abdul Carter could be a game-wrecker for the Giants
Scouts, analysts, fans, and NFL franchises alike are bound to fall in love with Carter’s skill set. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound athletic freak is considered by some to be the best overall prospect in the draft class.
In 2024, Carter was named an All-American after he led the nation with 24 tackles for loss. He added 12.0 sacks, 68 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, and four pass defenses. Carter’s 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade in 2024 ranked second among FBS edge defenders.
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The Giants invested a top-five pick in a pass-rusher only a few years ago, taking Kayvon Thibodeaux with the No. 5 pick in 2022. Their investment in Thibodeaux, plus the $141 million contract in Brian Burns, could be deterrents to drafting Carter third overall.
However, a defense can’t have enough good pass rushers and Carter has the potential to be among the best in the league if he reaches his ceiling. While an edge rusher might not be the Giants’ biggest need, that shouldn’t prevent them from taking a rare talent such as Carter.
