The Penn State Nittany Lions’ 2024 went as far as they may have hoped. Of course, ideally, you want the national championship, but a semi-final run is something you can build on. The success, in that sense, came on the back of a variety of stars. Drew Allar, Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and Tyler Warren, to name a few. Together, they spearheaded the offense and proved their mettle game after game. But what about the defense? Indeed, the defense outperformed all expectations, forming a formidable barrier against even the most formidable offenses. But if one had to single out a player among the whole unit, it was definitely Abdul Carter.

The Nittany Lions might have lost the game against Notre Dame by a margin, but Abdul Carter still emerged as the most lethal player on the field that day. The edge rusher executed 5 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 1 sack despite coming from a serious shoulder injury. The game not only cemented Carter’s status in the NFL draft but also showed his resilience in the face of adversity. Carter’s NFL draft stock started to rise, and the edge rusher was widely touted as the top-five pick in the first round. Teams like the New York Giants emerged to rope in his services.

The 6’3 and 250 lb. edge rusher who recorded 12 sacks just last season saw several mock drafts involving the Giants taking the player. In an April 3rd mock draft by Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, the edge rusher was taken as the Giants’ 1st-round pick at the 3rd spot. Then Dan Duggan of ‘The Athletic’ also echoed the same opinion and batted for Joe Schoen to take the Penn State edge rusher. The speculation became even more heightened when Carter shared Giants legend Lawrence Taylor’s photo on his X account. But now comes the catch.

According to Todd McShay, an NFL draft analyst, the Penn State edge rusher now has a contender at the 3rd pick of the Giants. The analyst speculated that Joe Schoen might be tempted to take Jaxson Dart at the 3rd spot. “If you want to take Jaxson Dart, we can move back a little bit and get Jaxson Dart. Let’s go pick up at three…. If I’m Joe Schoen, I get greedy, let’s move back. Let’s pick up a third and get Jaxson Dart there… “. But how plausible is this scenario?

Well, the analyst sure made it clear later that Schoen would face a conundrum if he decided to pick Dart at three and miss out on Carter. The situation is as perplexing as it can get. Drafting Abdul Carter would surely be a priority for Joe Schoen since the team has already signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. But that’s where things get more complicated than one can imagine.

Well, most of the draft projections leading up to now have placed Dart third or fourth behind QBs like Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and even Jalen Milroe on many occasions. Therefore, most people view the QB as a late first- or second-round prospect. But let’s talk facts now. The quarterback has certainly shown incredible playmaking prowess as he notched up 13,513 passing and rushing yards in his college career. Just last year, the QB finished with 4,279 yards at almost a 70% completion rate. So, does that make him deserving of the Giants’ 3rd pick?

Abdul Carter for the New York Giants?

Jaxson Dart is someone whom the franchise has been after for quite some time now. The Giants’ head coach, Brian Daboll, even met the quarterback at the NFL Combine initially, and a formal interview process was conducted with the quarterback. Then, Dart visited the Giants’ facility in early March, and later, he had his private workout in Oxford, with both Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll present. But Abdul Carter now seems to be edging the race by a margin and looks confident that the Giants will take him.

In a recent interview, Carter was asked a similar question as to which team the player had the best feeling about drafting him. The Penn State edge rusher didn’t even think for a moment and replied, “Definitely New York right now, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow.” Carter was then asked if he would like to follow in the footsteps of fellow players like LaVar Arrington, a fellow Penn State alum. The edge rusher showed excitement at the opportunity and said, “It’d be a blessing; I’d love to take advantage of that opportunity.”

Jaxson Dart, while incredible in several areas, still has some shortcomings. These include the considerations that Ole Miss’s 7-on-7 offense might not be too NFL-ready. So Abdul Carter, in that sense, becomes the prime target for not only the Giants but other teams too. Not only does the player offer an incredible ceiling, but he also has the potential to emerge as the leader in the Giants’ defensive setup. All in all, it certainly looks to be building that way as far as Carter’s words are concerned.