New York Giants rookie EDGE Abdul Carter was downright dominant in Week 4. His performance helped the Giants upset the Los Angeles Chargers 21-18. It felt like Carter's official coming-out party.
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his first career start on Sunday. Though Dart understandably drew the headlines, it was Carter who was the standout performer. Carter made Justin Herbert uncomfortable all afternoon.
The Chargers were dealing with various injuries across their offensive line. Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending injury in August. Joe Alt moved to left tackle, but left this game with an ankle injury. Carter took full advantage.
On the first rep below, Carter loops inside over engaged left guard Zion Johnson for an instant pressure. The next play in this compilation features a quick win inside against replacement tackle Austin Deculus. The third rep features another inside pressure, this time against right tackle Trey Pipkins. The fourth highlights a gorgeous spin move, and the fifth is a traditional outside win, both against Deculus. Carter routinely abused the Chargers' backup tackles.
Who would've thought to play Abdul Carter at edge? pic.twitter.com/f0oHEqK8OH
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 29, 2025
Speed, athleticism, and technical hands were consistently on display. Herbert completes just one pass on the six Carter pressures captured here. Carter wrecked the Chargers’ offensive game plan.
Carter totaled a career-high eight pressures and five quarterback hits. Micah Parsons and Laiatu Latu were the only pass rushers who registered more pressures in Week 4. Carter's Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade of 92.1 was fourth-best this week. His pass-rush win rate was an absurd 18.8%, with a pressure rate of 26.5%.
Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen had previously been using Carter in a flexible role. On Sunday, the former Penn State standout lined up as a traditional EDGE rusher. The results will ensure Carter is a full-time pass rusher from traditional alignments moving forward. There is no need to experiment.
Follow Abdul Carter step for step during his 8 pressure, 5 QB hit day vs Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Most snaps he's lined up at EDGE rusher so far this year and the results were beautiful pic.twitter.com/1TDZuSTNA1
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) September 29, 2025
Carter's average distance of separation from Herbert on Sunday was 3.78 yards, according to Next Gen Stats. On average, Carter was closer to the quarterback than any Giants defender in Week 4. The league-average mark is 4.57 yards. Together, he, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux combined for 20 pressures.
Carter ranks 11th in the NFL in pressures, per NGS. The rookie pass rusher is tied for the most pressures in the NFL under 2.5 seconds, per Talkin' Giants. That means Carter is getting instant pressure through traditional wins. He's not a clean-up or second-effort guy.
The Giants attempted to trade up to No. 1 overall to draft quarterback Cam Ward. The Tennessee Titans refused their advances. The Giants ended up with Carter and Dart. The actual outcome represented the best-case scenario for Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll.
Carter was the best overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. After some unnecessary experimenting, the Giants finally played him as a full-time pass rusher versus the Chargers. The results were elite, albeit against backup-caliber offensive tackles. The pathway forward is clear. Carter should continue developing into a high-level edge defender on a weekly basis.
