The New York Giants had high hopes and expectations for former Penn State star Abdul Carter when they took him with the No. 2 pick last season.
Some scouts had him as the best prospect in the class; a star pass rusher with shades of Micah Parsons and a potential game-wrecker. That’s why, after a somewhat disappointing first year in the Big Apple, he’s looking for a clean slate in Year 2.
Carter will take Russell Wilson’s number and wear No. 3 next season. He used No. 51 as a rookie after wearing No. 11 in college and No. 22 in high school.
Carter played all 17 games for the Giants last season, making six starts. He finished his rookie campaign with 43 total tackles, 23 quarterback hits — the most among rookies –, seven tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
His 23 quarterback hits were the most by any Giants rookie in franchise history and tied for the sixth-most among any NFL rookies in the past two decades.
That said, it wasn’t all good. There were worrisome reports about a questionable work ethic, including constant tardiness and sleeping through meetings.
The Giants replaced head coach Brian Daboll and interim coach Mike Kafka with a former Super Bowl champion like John Harbaugh, who’ll look to rebuild a winning culture in the Big Apple. That starts with uber-talented players like Carter leading by example, and he’s not going to get a pass after his rookie campaign. He’ll have to step up and live up to his draft stock.
As for Russell Wilson, he’s still unsigned and unlikely to find any opportunity to start. He’s still adamant about playing, but after watching him lose his starting spot to rookie Jaxson Dart last season, that ship may have already sailed for him.
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