Edge Rusher Rankings Set High Bar for Giants
Edge Rusher Rankings Set High Bar for Giants originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In 2024, the New York Giants hoped that the combination of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rusher Brian Burns would be enough to overpower opposing offenses and make a few extra games attainable.
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Both played well, but the depravity of the Giants' offense cut that dream short. General manager Joe Schoen went back to the well in 2025, drafting Penn State's Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, the second first-round edge rusher of his tenure.
Carter is expected to start over Kayvon Thibodeaux and join Burns for one of the league's best pairings. With Lawrence between them, New York is once again supposed to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. If 2024's unit was promising, 2025's might be too big to feel.
Subsequently, Pro Football Focus' top-32 edge rusher rankings set awfully high expectations for the Giants' pass rush.
Burns, the most proven talent New York has along the edge, ranked 16th.
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'Burns' first season in New York was a success, as he posted a career-high 79.2 PFF grade, fueled by an 82.9 pass-rush grade and 61 total pressures — both the second-highest marks of his career,' Ryan Smith wrote.
Carter, despite not having any NFL snaps under his belt, fell just four spots behind him. Thibodeaux took a step forward in 2024, but went unranked on this list.
'Projecting rookie production is always tricky,' Smith admitted. 'However, Carter led the FBS in PFF pass-rush grade (92.4) and total pressures (66), and he also ranked in the top five in pass-rush win rate (22.6%). He has all the tools to make an immediate impact at the NFL level.
'Carter has drawn comparisons to fellow Penn State alum Micah Parsons, who was elite as a rookie in 2021. Given his potential, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Carter crack the top 15 on this list next year.'
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The Giants joined the Houston Texans (Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter), Pittsburgh Steelers (T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith), and Minnesota Vikings (Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel) as the only teams with two players in the top 20. Three other teams had multiple in the top 32, and the Steelers and Miami Dolphins each had a trio make the cut.
Simply put, New York is supposed to have an elite pass rush. The organization has spent two first-round picks along the edge, another on Lawrence, trading a second-round pick for Burns, and drafted defensive tackle Darius Alexander in Round 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Both Burns and Lawrence signed top-end extensions.
Given its importance to the defense and the offensive struggles it will be asked to cover up, the Giants' defensive line is one of the most important units in all of football. This group needs to be elite, and its mix of electric talents and depth make that a fairly safe bet.
Related: Carter Reacts to Joining Giants' Loaded Line
Related: NFC East Defensive Tackle Rankings: Can Lawrence Carry Giants?
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
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