There’s some big expectations on Lorenzo Carter, for a third round draft pick. The former Georgia Bulldog was selected with the intention of boosting the pass rush, both this year and going forward. Judging by his athleticism, it seems like he’s a good fit for that role.
But how are the Giants planning on using Carter in his rookie season? Carter himself told the official Giants website some things about that.
“I’m playing straight outside linebacker, strong side. My job is simple: set the edge, affect the passer and lastly I have to drop (into pass coverage). That’s an afterthought. In the front of my head is pass rushing and being aggressive going forward. I love it,” he said, confirming that the team intends to use him to attack the passer.
That aggressive playing style is something that the Giants need after the departure of Jason Pierre-Paul, who contributed 8.5 sacks last season before switching to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. Pierre-Paul played as a defensive end rather than an outside linebacker, but replacing his production is one of the reasons the Giants spent a third round pick on Carter.
Carter also spoke about his experiences in the first practices of training camp. “You can tell when your eyes are in the right place and your movements are doing the right things. I just try to keep doing what I’m doing. Try to keep getting that feeling… You definitely know when it’s going wrong, that’s when you just turn around and put the jets on, try to keep running.”
He hasn’t been a perfect player at this point, but that’s expected, as Carter said himself. The important thing, however, is that the rookie pass rusher is learning and improving. “Everybody’s going to make mistakes, especially as a rookie, but you just have to make mistakes and you don’t lose, you just learn lessons.”