The New York Giants have been in quite a pickle this offseason. Earlier, it was the QB drama. Do they bring in Sam Darnold? Or Justin Fields? Do they pick from the draft? Or do they re-sign a player from last season? Well for one, Brian Daboll did give us a shocker as he put his trust in Tommy DeVito once again. But as much as having a franchise QB is important, although I am not saying DeVito will be that for the Giants, it seems like there is another player that wants NFL teams to know that having a franchise defender is also just as important. Any guesses who?

The New York family would know, it is Penn State’s Abdul Carter. Projected to be the Giants’ pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Nittany Lions’ defensive end has been nothing short of magical. With 61 pressures, 12 sacks this season, and a third-nationally 18.5% pressure rate in the FBS, he would be someone to keep an eye out as he has already stirred the pot as a potential top pick as well. Although he believes “I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and the best player should be selected No. 1,” there is one thorn in his way.

Back in the NFL Scouting Combine, a stress reaction in Carter’s foot was revealed. With the edge following up with his doctors, it was confirmed that he does not need to go under the knife. This indeed was a huge news for the potential first overall pick on April 24 in Green Bay as previously, doctors suggested inserting a screw that would require him to stay inactive for over eight weeks. Now while the surgery is off the table, can the Giants take a chance? More like, should they? The former coach turned college football analyst Urban Meyer has some thoughts.

Joining Colin Cowherd on the CFB ON FOX podcast, Meyer stated, “Everything worries you as you’re starting to invest that kind of money and that kind of capital into a player. But whenever you’re looking at a player you always say, and it’s a little bit like high school and you recruited kid, a player that comes from a great high school, Xavier in Cincinnati, you figure he’s maximized, how much better can he get?

“Abdul Carter is only relatively new at the defensive end position. I think he’s still growing into his body. So, I think there’s as good as he is. There’s still plenty of upsides. But I would argue that it’d be hard for me to not take Travis Hunter with that first pick. I just love that guy. I think he’s once in a generation, once in a lifetime player. He could do things that I’ve not seen people do… I think it’s either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter.”

The Nittany Lions star’s paused surgery is already a factor of concern for Daboll. Here comes Carter’s inexperience that is shrouding his New York future with uncertainty. However, it is hard to ignore that he has given some good outputs already. He showed off his versatility as an off-ball linebacker previously. But he has been just as instinctive as a pass rusher too. His 23.5 tackles for loss were first in the nation. That says something!

While the CFB world is going gaga over Carter, there is another side of the story as well. As a pass rusher, he needs to overcome his inconsistency with deconstructing blocks as often times he got washed out in the run game. If he is healthy, Carter would be an easy pick for any team never mind their requirements. But what if he is not? And that is exactly what Daboll needs to calculate. This decision will matter significantly as he is already on fire for his QB pick for the next season.

A controversial call by Brian Daboll

As per the reports, New York re-signed the $1.03 million-worth quarterback Tommy DeVitto to an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) tender. The 26-year-old New Jersey native originally joined the team as an undrafted rookie in 2023. The QB did start eight games in his 12 for the team so far, but Daboll’s signal-caller lacks a canon. His arms are not strong enough to overcome a breakdown in mechanics.

Well, he did have a good time when he gifted a heroic three-game winning streak in the middle of a mediocre 6-11 campaign, two years ago as a rookie. However, when Tommy was thrust back into the spotlight in the middle of another struggling run, he couldn’t resurrect the same magic.

In two seasons so far, he has completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,358 yards and 8 TDs and 3 interceptions. Already, Daboll is being held responsible. However, the team has not decided if he will be their primary QB as they continue to eye incoming or experienced talents in the pool.

So in case the New York fans were expecting a big comeback story after their lackluster 3-14 season, it’s going to be a patience test. Already the fans are upset about Brian Daboll giving Tommy DeVitto one more chance. Plus, they no longer have anything to be excited about as for many, Abdul Carter now carries the “inexperienced” tag.