Giants' Abdul Carter's Micah Parsons comparison makes sense for these 3 reasons

Billy Heyen

Giants' Abdul Carter's Micah Parsons comparison makes sense for these 3 reasons image

Abdul Carter isn't Micah Parsons.

But if we're being honest, the two have a lot in common. The New York Giants are hoping that their newest player, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, can play a bit like Parsons.

Parsons, the Cowboys star and division rival of the Giants, is one of the top players in football.

If the Giants just got that, they'd be thrilled. Here's why it might not be so far-fetched:

Penn State stardom

Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter were both defensive monsters at Penn State.

Carter just finished his final season with 12 sacks and a total of 24 tackles for loss.

Parsons had 5.0 sacks in his final college season after playing as more of a linebacker than a pass rusher.

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Uniform number

It's not everything, but there's something extra cool about Parsons and Carter rocking the same number.

They both wore No. 11 for the Nittany Lions, and it'd be awesome to see Carter continue that 11 in the NFL just like Parsons.

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Work ethic

Parsons transitioned into a dominant edge rusher in the NFL in part by working really hard.

Carter has that gene, too.

“Everything I’ve heard about him off the field is he’s a hard worker," ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said. "This is what you want. This is a blue chip prospect."

One difference

Carter checks in at about 15 pounds heavier than Parsons. 

The younger Penn State product weighs 260 pounds.

That allows him to stack up better against the running game, and potentially be more of a straight-power pass rusher.

The Giants definitely got a good one.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle