Michael Strahan needs to be questioning why Abdul Carter needs a quarterback’s quantity earlier than the jersey of the NFL’s single-game sacks report holder.
What, Carter needed Nos. 56 and 11 however not 92? Doesn’t he wish to stomp quarterbacks out?
Severely, the place does it finish?
Sufficient of this Numbergate can of worms opened by the Giants’ unretiring of Ray Flaherty’s No. 1 for Malik Nabers final yr. It’s time to have a dialog about Carter that actually issues:
How Giants coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen really intend to make use of the No. 3 total draft choose of their scheme.
As a result of whereas Carter performed on the sting of Penn State’s final yr, circumstances could dictate that Carter might find yourself taking part in extra off-ball linebacker for the Giants as a rookie than outsiders would possibly count on.
With expertise at that place in faculty earlier than his place change, Carter could find yourself rotating between the sting and off-ball linebacker for the Giants in yr one, making a hybrid position just like his Nittany Lions predecessor, Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys.
Right here’s why: The Giants protection performed nickel with 5 defensive backs on 61.7% of their snaps in 2025.
So the vast majority of their defensive snaps this season when their prime 11 is wholesome is anticipated to function the next 5 DBs: corners Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks and Dru Phillips and safeties Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin.
That leaves room for six extra gamers, which generally breaks down as two down defensive linemen, two edges and two off-ball linebackers.
Earlier than Carter’s draft choice, that will have damaged down as Dexter Lawrence and a second inside lineman on the within, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the perimeters and Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden at off-ball LB.
So now put Carter on the sphere. Who’s Bowen sending to the sideline? Thibodeaux?
Lawrence’s companion in crime on the within in the mean time profiles as a rotation of Rakeem Nunez-Roches, rookie third-round choose Darius Alexander, veteran Jeremiah Ledbetter and possibly even Chauncey Golston, who can play each inside and out of doors.
Thibodeaux shouldn’t be an inside participant, aside from possibly in a third-down NASCAR package deal that options three or 4 ends speeding the passer on third and lengthy without delay.
And whereas Thibodeaux has regressed as an edge run defender since his rookie season, he’s nonetheless higher in that position as an NFL participant than Carter, a rookie with explosive uncooked traits who remains to be studying to not overcommit to the ball and the quarterback at that place.
So once more, the place does Carter match on this protection if the Giants don’t intend to take him off the sphere?
He looks as if a extra pure match, frankly, at off-ball linebacker given the workforce’s personnel.
He might blitz from off the road of scrimmage, assault gaps and draw the offensive line’s consideration from the line of defense speeding up entrance. And he has velocity and instincts in house to blow up to the ball-carrier.
Bowen doesn’t have expertise operating the form of a number of, variable system to maneuver this type of chess piece round from right down to down. However he and Daboll are going to wish a plan right here.
The Giants will clearly be hesitant to take away Carter from the sting rusher place fully due to his manufacturing there in his ultimate faculty season — his first full yr at that spot — and the potential which means for his capability to vary video games.
The Giants’ defensive roster construct in the mean time, nevertheless, doesn’t match how they’re going to wish to win video games.
Daboll’s offense sometimes doesn’t rating sufficient factors to totally unleash a move rush in vital moments. Carter has helped increase an edge rusher place and supply extra expertise and depth for when the Giants’ line of defense can pin its ears again.
However how usually are they going to have the ability to do this? They want the offense to attain and take leads and dictate the sport’s technique to lean all the best way into that personnel utilization and that sort of aggressive assault.
What they’re going to wish is their finest 11 on the sphere to cease the run and make performs on the soccer, however sometimes in a formation that options 5 defensive backs to match up with three-wide receiver offensive units.
To not point out that even when they’re pressured right into a base defensive construction with 4 DBs and three down defensive linemen, Carter and Thibodeaux nonetheless don’t fill that further spot on the within.
There may be nothing unsuitable with making a rotation to unfold out snaps at edge to maintain the move rushers contemporary. It helps over the course of the lengthy season.
The Giants, although, will wish to have their finest 11 on the sphere most of the time.
That’s why probably the most attention-grabbing a part of Carter’s onboarding to the Giants, beginning with this weekend’s rookie minicamp, is not going to be what quantity he’s sporting.
It will likely be the place he’s taking part in and the place he will get moved round Bowen’s protection, right down to down and week to week, to get probably the most out of his and this protection and the funding in him at No. 3 total.
