Abdul Carter, Jaxson Dart reunite as Giants first-rounders
Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart first crossed paths at the 2023 Peach Bowl. When they did so again on Friday as the Giants’ first-round picks, the reunion turned into praise for each other’s talents.
Dart and Ole Miss beat Carter and Penn State, 38-25. Carter, then a linebacker, laid a hit on Dart that made a highlight tape the Giants shared on YouTube. Carter thought he had a strip sack, but the officials ruled Dart threw an incomplete pass.
Still, Carter praised Dart’s toughness and saw it as a value that will help him acclimate to the Giants.
“It didn’t end up counting, but I definitely got a good shot on him,” Carter said. “But as you saw, he got right back up . . . so I knew right there he was a good player.”
Dart recalled that when Ole Miss game-planned for Carter, he saw a player who had no weaknesses. One play during the Peach Bowl stood out in which Carter chased an Ole Miss running back from the end of the line of the scrimmage to the other side of the field before making a tackle short of a first down.
“I remember live, you can’t really see it, and then when you watch back on film, not many people on this Earth could make a play like that,” Dart said.
It was music to the Giants’ ears.
The soon-to-be rookies smiled with their new jerseys and began pondering different expectations for their impact while walking around the Giants’ facility on Friday.
Carter, the No. 3 overall pick, likely will have an immediate effect with his pass rushing. He briefly met fellow edge rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns and reiterated that he’ll be “ready to go” for workouts after dealing with foot and shoulder injuries in the pre-draft process.
He also spoke Thursday with Cowboys defensive end and fellow Penn State alum Micah Parsons. The two now will be division rivals, but they shared pleasantries and already planned for their first jersey swap.
However, Carter brushed off any comparisons between the two despite their similar college journeys.
“I learned a lot from Micah. Me being at Penn State wearing No. 11, we keep that brotherhood tight,” Carter said. “But at the end of the day, I’m my own player and I want to make my own name.”
With his mother, sister and girlfriend sitting in the front row, Carter reflected on a dream he had at 12 or 13 years old. He was playing for the Giants and saw a screen with his name on it.
He didn’t remember if it was a regular-season or playoff game, but it felt so vivid that a decade later, he believed it was fate that he’d play at MetLife Stadium.
“It’s like, is this really going to happen?” Carter recalled asking. “Me being here, everything happens for a reason. Me having that dream . . . This is like where I’m supposed to be.”
As for Dart, he had his own wow moment walking around the facility. He called it “iconic” and said he was humbled to see the Giants’ history and meet two-time Super Bowl champion Carl Banks.
While growing up, Dart watched Russell Wilson play and even had Wilson’s Seahawks jersey. Now he’s thrilled to have the opportunity to learn how to transition to be an NFL quarterback from Wilson and Jameis Winston.
“I understand coming to the next level there’s definitely going to be a development piece,” Dart said. “That goes for anybody, regardless of where you’re at in your career, if you’re taking it to the next level. That’s my plan is to attack each and every day and to prepare myself for whenever my time is to come.”
Coach Brian Daboll used the word “develop” or “developmental” six times Thursday in describing Dart’s journey. With Wilson present, there’s no need to rush Dart onto the field. It will allow Dart to grow gradually after his three years starting at Ole Miss.
He’ll also enjoy getting reacquainted with Carter after their 2023 meeting.
“I actually told my family before this that I hope I get the chance to play with him because I know how great of a player he is,” Dart said.
He’ll get his wish. As for whether the Giants will get theirs as they try to develop Carter and Dart into building blocks for the future, time will tell.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
