Just one day before the 2025 NFL draft, top prospect Abdul Carter dropped a giant hint about where he expects to play pro football. Carter, speaking to reporters at the Play Ball Football Clinic on Wednesday, indicated that he has the best feeling about the New York Giants, who will be third on the clock in the first round of Thursday's draft.
"Definitely New York right now," Carter said. "But we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Abdul Carter is asked which team he has the best feeling about ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft: "Definitely New York right now"
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) April 23, 2025
He adds he will bring "everything" to the table in the NFL pic.twitter.com/c8bd2rtIL5
Carter, a unanimous All-American and the top pass-rushing prospect in the draft, has long been expected to be among the first three selections. At first, Carter was the projected top pick in the draft, then was widely reported to be the presumptive pick of the Cleveland Browns, who hold the second pick in the first round.
But as the picture at the top of the draft board has gotten clearer, more and more buzz has connected Carter to the Giants, in part because of the club's interest in the Penn State product. Carter met with the Giants in March at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, then also met with the club again as part of one of his four pre-draft visits. Additionally, Carter in early-April had breakfast with Giants coach Brian Daboll in a separate meeting.
And Carter himself didn't shy away from the increased connection being made wth his name and the Giants. On the day of his pre-draft visit with New York's top brass, Carter took to his account on X and posted a picture of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Giants legend Lawrence Taylor.
When asked about the social media post, Carter explained that he looks up to Taylor, whom he called the "greatest football player of all-time."
But should Carter hear his name called by the Giants on Thursday, he won't just be following in a long line of talented pass rushers in Giants history. He'll be going from one big city to another. Carter, born and raised in Philadelphia, made it clear that he'll always have love for the City of Brotherly Love, but that he'll be putting the city in the rearview should he end up in the Big Apple.
"It'd be dope," Carter said of potentially heading to New York to play pro football. "But obviously, once I go to New York, I'm all New York—I'm going to have to leave Philly behind, so we'll see."
"It [Philadelphia] means everything to me. It's where I come from. My roots. It's where my family is from, so it means a lot."
Carter won't have to wait long to find out where he'll be headed. The first round of the 2025 NFL draft begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Abdul Carter Drops Giant Hint at Where He'll Be Selected One Day Before NFL Draft.