NFL.com's 2025 All-Rookie Team predictions
With offseason workout programs now in the rearview mirror, the focus turns to next month when teams report for the start of training camp.
One of the players that fans will be most excited to see is third overall pick Abdul Carter, who will finally be given the opportunity to show what he can do when the pads come on and contact is allowed at practice.
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice recently released his predictions for the 2025 NFL All-Rookie Team, and leading the way on the defensive side of the ball is none other than the Giants' rookie edge rusher.
"Widely considered the best defensive player in this draft class, Carter is unsurprisingly the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year," wrote Filice. "His explosiveness off the edge jumps off the screen, but with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as the incumbent outside linebackers, what's the plan with the No. 3 overall pick? Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen sees it as "a really good problem to have." And he's not wrong: You can never have enough good pass rushers.
"Ultimately, we want to get our best 11 on the field," Bowen said last month. "Whatever way we gotta maneuver to do that, we gotta find ways to get the guys that can impact the game on the field."
"Carter is undoubtedly one of the best 11 on this defensive roster, and playing alongside Burns, Thibodeaux and DT Dexter Lawrence, the rookie's poised to get the kind of one-on-one matchups he can feast on," Filice added.
The 6-foot-3, 252-pound linebacker registered 12.0 sacks and a nation-high 23.5 tackles for loss, along with two forced fumbles and four passes defensed, for Penn State last year on his way to being named Unanimous All-American and first-team All-Big Ten.
He was also selected as the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, all in his first season lining up on the edge.
Prior to the 2024 campaign, Carter primarily lined up at off-ball linebacker, where he totaled 11.0 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, nine passes defensed, one interception, and three forced fumbles to go with his 104 total tackles (61 solo) across his first two collegiate seasons. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media both years, while being tabbed first-team all-conference by the Big Ten coaches in 2023.
The Giants have only had one player be named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year since the award's inception in 1967. That was in 1981, of course, when Lawrence Taylor not only took home the award for the league's top defensive rookie, but was also selected as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro after recording 9.5 sacks.
Here are the defensive players on NFL.com's All-Rookie Team projection.
- Edge - Abdul Carter, New York Giants
- Edge - Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys
- DT - Mason Graham, Cleveland Browns
- DT - Derrick Harmon, Pittsburgh Steelers
- LB - Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns
- LB - Demetrius Knight Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
- CB - Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
- CB - Trey Amos, Washington Commanders
- NB - Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos
- S - Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens
- S - Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons
See all of the action from Giants Minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
WR Darius Slayton (18),WR Malik Nabers (1),OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) WR Dalen Cambre (5),WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17),WR Montrell Washington (80),WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87),K Graham Gano (9) WR Da'Quan Felton (9),WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey (81),WR Juice Wells Jr. (2),WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
S Dane Belton (24)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87)
S Makari Paige (38)
ILB Dyontae Johnson (54), LB Chris Board (49) and ILB Ty Summers (47)
DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (93)
OL Jaison Williams (68),OL Marcus Mbow (71),G Jon Runyan Jr. (76),G Austin Schlottmann (65),C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), C Bryan Hudson (60), G Aaron Stinnie (64),G Greg Van Roten (74) T James Hudson III (55),T Stone Forsythe (70)T Evan Neal (73),C Jimmy Morrissey (67), T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
RB Eric Gray (20)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
TE Daniel Bellinger (82)
WR Dalen Cambre (5)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
WR Malik Nabers (1) and QB Russell Wilson (3)
WR Dalen Cambre (5)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
S Jevón Holland (8) and CB Paulson Adebo (21)
OLB Abdul Carter (51), OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) WR and OLB Brian Burns (0)
CB Art Green (35)
S Jevón Holland (8)
RB Rushawn Baker (36)
C Jimmy Morrissey (67)
WR Dalen Cambre (5), CB Art Green (35)
T James Hudson III (55), TE Theo Johnson (84)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
T James Hudson III (55), TE Theo Johnson (84)
WR Beaux Collins (8)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
T James Hudson III (55), TE Theo Johnson (84)
QB Tommy DeVito (15) and QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Russell Wilson (3),RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
TE Daniel Bellinger (82)
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OLB Abdul Carter (51)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
WR Dalen Cambre (5), CB TJ Moore (30)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
TE Daniel Bellinger (82)
WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey (81)
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (88)
C Jimmy Morrissey (67)
T Evan Neal (73)
C Jimmy Morrissey (67)
S Jevón Holland (8)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
ILB Darius Muasau (53)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Jevón Holland (8)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
WR Darius Slayton (18)
CB Paulson Adebo (21)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
S Jevón Holland (8) and CB Paulson Adebo (21)
OLB Tomon Fox (45)
OLB Tomon Fox (45)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
S Jevón Holland (8) and S Tyler Nubin (27)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
WR Darius Slayton (18)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
WR Montrell Washington (80)
WR Dalen Cambre (5)
WR Juice Wells Jr. (2)
WR Dalen Cambre (5)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
S Jevón Holland (8)
QB Jaxson Dart (6), WR Malik Nabers (1)
RB Dante Miller (25)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
K Graham Gano (9)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
OLB Abdul Carter (51), Brian Daboll
OLB Brian Burns (0),OLB Abdul Carter (51)
TE Jermaine Terry II (48)
WR Montrell Washington (80)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
) K Jude McAtamney (99)
P Jamie Gillan (6)
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
QB Russell Wilson (3),WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
ILB Dyontae Johnson (54)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
OLB Tomon Fox (45)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
Brian Daboll
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
QB Jameis Winston (19),RB Dante Miller (25)
WR Juice Wells Jr. (2)
RB Devin Singletary (26)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87)
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (88)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
CB Korie Black (25)
WR Dalen Cambre (5), QB Jaxson Dart (6)
OLB Brian Burns (0),T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
OLB Trace Ford (46)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
Quaterbacks huddle, QB Russell Wilson (3),QB Jameis Winston (19)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
Roy Robertson-Harris (95)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
Quaterbacks huddle, QB Russell Wilson (3),QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Dalen Cambre (5), QB Jaxson Dart (6)
OLB Coach Charlie Bullen
ILB Dyontae Johnson (54), LB Chris Board (49) and ILB Ty Summers (47)
S Dane Belton (24)
S Makari Paige (38)
OLB Trace Ford (46)
RB Eric Gray (20)
DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)
DL Dexter Lawrence II (97)
S Dane Belton (24)
OLB Tomon Fox (45)
OLB Trace Ford (46)
WR Darius Slayton (18),WR Malik Nabers (1),OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) WR Dalen Cambre (5),WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17),WR Montrell Washington (80),WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87),K Graham Gano (9) WR Da'Quan Felton (9),WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey (81),WR Juice Wells Jr. (2),WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
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