With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter — a move aimed at adding even more firepower to an already dangerous defensive front.
Carter now joins a stacked unit featuring Kayvon Thibodeaux, the team’s 2022 first-rounder, and Brian Burns, acquired in a blockbuster trade last offseason. Anchored by interior star Dexter Lawrence, the Giants may finally have a legitimate positional strength: a fearsome defensive line built to dominate.
So why are some analysts calling for the group to be broken up before it’s even played a snap together?
Bleacher Report is already floating the idea of trading Thibodeaux to address other holes on the roster. Writer Brad Gagnon suggested a deal makes sense now that Carter is in the fold alongside Burns.
Sporting News is pushing a similar narrative. One of its writers went as far as polling Bears fans on Twitter about potentially trading for Thibodeaux — with overwhelmingly positive responses. Their proposed trade? A 2026 second-round pick sent to New York in exchange for the pass rusher. Good deal… for Chicago.
But Giants fans aren’t buying it.
They remember what championship teams in New York looked like: dominant defensive fronts that carried the load. In 2008, it was Strahan, Umenyiora, and Tuck. In 2012, Tuck, Osi, and JPP wreaked havoc on opposing offenses. That trio formula worked — twice — and the Giants now seem poised to replicate it.
So the question is: why mess with that?
The Giants undoubtedly have needs elsewhere, but dismantling their most promising unit just to patch other weak spots feels short-sighted. If this team is going to succeed, it’ll be because the defense — and especially the D-line — becomes a nightmare for opponents.
New York is betting that history can repeat itself. And if the past is any guide, three elite pass rushers might just be the Giants’ secret weapon once again.
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