The New York Giants are currently gearing up to kick off their 2025 season with a road matchup against the reigning NFC runners-up, the Washington Commanders. The Giants enter this year with some quiet but growing expectations after their rookie class looked strong during the preseason.
One member of that rookie class is first round pick Abdul Carter out of Penn State, who figures to be a key piece of a Giants defensive line that has grown into one of the better units in the NFL over the past year.
Recently, NFL Hall of Famer Boomer Esiason outlined what he thinks the Commanders should do on Sunday to welcome Carter to the NFL and minimize his impact on the game.
“If I'm the Commanders, as soon as he's on the field, I am running at him every single time,” said Esiason, per WFAN Sports Radio on X, formerly Twitter. “And I want to see if you can run defend. I know what you can do pass rushing wise. I want to see if you can run defend. Go right at him, push him right down to the ground like the Jets did. Welcome to the NFL, rookie. All that kind of stuff.”
Indeed, the Jets mostly had their way against Carter during a recent preseason matchup between the two teams in the running game, but on Sunday, we'll see if Carter has made some adjustments from that experience.
Can the Giants compete?
The New York Giants aren't expected by many to secure a playoff spot this year, but they are viewed as a team that could take a big step forward from their spot in the NFL basement that they've occupied over the last couple of years.
Another big question for the Giants is whether rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart could take over Russell Wilson's spot on the depth chart at some point this season after he lit teams up during the preseason. Carter and Dart figure to make for one of the better rookie tandems in the league this year.
In any case, the Giants will take the field against the Commanders on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.
