Abdul Carter's NFL dreams were realized Thursday night when the New York Giants selected the former Penn State edge rusher with the third overall pick in the draft.
Carter seemed to be a priority selection for the Giants for quite some time, making the selection potentially franchise-altering.
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen was confident in January that if Carter was still on the board, he would be picked. Now, the Giants have their possible future superstar.
"You've got Kayvon, and you've got Burns, you've got Dex inside – it gives you a lot of options," Schoen said at the time. "He's a versatile player. He's young, just 21 years old, and an exciting player to watch. Yeah, you can't have enough pass rushers."
Schoen guaranteed the Giants would "find a way" for Carter to have an impact early on in his rookie season. Whether they will remains to be seen.
His former coach, James Franklin, wrote a heartfelt message to Carter thanking him for countless memories in State College while wishing him the best of luck on his NFL journey.
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"Proud of you, Abdul! You’ve never backed down from a challenge, and this next step will be no different," Franklin wrote. "The Giants are getting a tough, resilient player — go make the most of it! We’re thankful for everything you brought to this team. Happy Valley will always be home!"
Carter was a key catalyst in leading the Nittany Lions to the Orange Bowl this past season despite nagging injuries and potential signs of peaking too early.
Nevertheless, the Giants have their star of the future. It may be a long rebuild, but it's a start in East Rutherford.