Abdul Carter
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New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter made a bold comparison based on Micah Parsons' dominant performance in Week 2.
He’s only played one regular season game, but New York Giants rookie Abdul Carter is already convinced something has changed in the modern NFL, and fellow edge-rusher Micah Parsons is the proof.
Carter watched Parsons dominate for the Green Bay Packers against the Giants’ NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 2. The performance left Carter convinced “RUSHERS are the new QB, we impact the game & winning just as much!! Micah proved it last night!”
It’s a bold statement given the long-held status of quarterback as football’s most important position. No franchise knows more about how damaging mediocre QB play can be than the Giants, but they also know the value of prolific pass-rushers.
Platoons of skilled quarterback hunters helped the 2007 and 2011 Giants win Super Bowls. This season’s team is far removed from those lofty heights, but the roster does boast similar riches at edge-rusher after Carter became the third player taken in the 2025 NFL draft.
He’s yet to boss a game like Parsons, but Carter has already flashed enough promise to assure the Giants they drafted a game-wrecker. Maybe one who will prove as important as anybody on their quarterback depth chart.
Giants Waiting on Micah Parsons-Like Impact From Abdul Carter
It’s only been one week, but the clock is already ticking for Carter to take over a game the way Parsons did against the Commanders. The four-time Pro Bowler “generated a team-high 8 pressures and 0.5 sacks on 37 pass rushes (21.6%) in his second game with the Packers. Six of Parsons’ pressures came in the second half,” according to Next Gen Stats.
This is the level of expectation for Carter, and it’s not unreasonable to demand similar numbers. Especially when Parsons was dominant during his first year in the pros, logging 13 sacks and being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Some believe Carter can also be award-worthy as a rookie, but he first needs to prove as disruptive as fellow former Penn State stud Parsons. The latter is the benchmark for Carter’s career, and the Giants’ edge must remember disruption is about more than stats.
It’s equally about putting offenses in a bind and forcing on-the-fly adjustments in protection. Something the Commanders couldn’t execute at Lambeau Field, per NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger.
Parsons changes gameplans for his opponents, and that’s the type of force the Giants need Carter to become. He’ll have plenty of help, but the 21-year-old must look to his own athleticism and reach the potential he showed against Washington in Week 1.
Abdul Carter Can Meet Micah Parsons-Level Potential
He has the raw skills to be another Parsons, but the next step for Carter is to finish plays more often than he did against the Commanders. The first-year pro was menacing rushing the passer from all over, but splash plays were missing.
Even so, highlights from Coach Gene Clemons show how the threat posed by Carter helped others get to Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Both fellow edge-rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux benefited from Carter getting around the corner in a hurry and splitting double teams.
This is how things are supposed to work among the Giants’ cadre of gifted pass-rushers. It’s why Carter shouldn’t be shifted to the linebacker level to cover injuries.
Instead, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen must make Carter the focus of his front-line pass rush. It’s how the prized rookie can justify his belief in the value of edge-rushers relative to quarterbacks, and also live up to comparisons with Parsons.