Anything less than a “Rookie of the Year” award is a disappointment. New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter is a member of this exclusive club. Fourth-year general manager Joe Schoen selected the former Penn State phenom with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, in the hopes that he could serve a major role in the next great Big Blue defense. The inevitable adjustment period he will experience this fall makes instant superstardom difficult to attain, but Carter is under pressure to excel in his first campaign with the Giants. The Athletic agrees, naming the 21-year-old edge rusher as New York’s potential breakout candidate for the 2025 season, despite the challenges facing the incoming pass-rusher in terms of where he might fit into a crowded front-seven.