Abdul Carter was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and is expected to lead the New York Giants’ defense to new heights. The Penn State product was the best pure defender in the draft, and arguably the top overall prospect.
Carter came in hot upon arriving in New York and asked NFL legend Lawrence Taylor to wear his retired No. 56. This request has quickly caught heat, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith stoked the flames on a recent “First Take” appearance.
Abdul Carter’s Request Has Appalled and Bamboozled Stephen A. Smith
Carter was one of the no-doubt blue-chip prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was expected to be the first overall pick until the Tennessee Titans honed in on Cam Ward, and he’ll likely use his short fall as a chip on his shoulder.
Carter posted 68 tackles and 12 sacks in 2024. He led FBS with 24 tackles for loss and was a force during Penn State’s College Football Playoff semifinal run. He joins a New York defense that finished No. 20 in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season, but this unit’s strength is its defensive line.
The third overall pick should mesh well with Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Dexter Lawrence, but he’s created negative waves before stepping on the field.
Taylor highlights the Giants’ proud edge rusher history and is considered the greatest defensive player ever to step on an NFL field. Who knows if Carter thought of this idea on his own, but Warren Moon unretiring his No. 1 for Ward to wear in Tennessee could have influenced his request.
Taylor bluntly responded to Carter, and Smith couldn’t agree more. “First Take” host Molly Qerim asked Smith, “Stephen A., do you have a problem with Carter requesting to wear LT’s number?”
Smith responded, “Of course I do. Abdul Carter, I’m quite sure, is going to be sensational on the NFL level, because we’ve seen his game in college. We respect him. But, he’s starting off his NFL career as maybe the most ignorant draft pick in history. This is Lawrence Taylor, my brother, that we’re talking about.
“We have seen the great ones throughout the years. Ray Lewis comes to my mind along with various others. No one has been compared to Lawrence Taylor. When we say Micah Parsons, we say, ‘Lawrence Taylor-like.’ He showcases some attributes that remind you of.
“Bill Belichick is an eight-time champion. A six-time champion as head coach. There are very few things in life that have irritated him more than the thought, the notion that somebody would mention themselves, or somebody else, in the same breath as Lawrence Taylor. Somebody he was the defensive coordinator for when they won the Super Bowl Championships.”
Smith went on to list off Taylor’s many accolades, which include 10 straight years being named an All-Pro, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and a league MVP in 1986, among others. He concluded his rant, “It’s LT! And before you play an NFL game, you’re asking to wear that number? That is shameful!”
Carter doesn’t have to have the same career as Lawrence, but has the potential to end up in the Hall of Fame. He won’t be wearing No. 56, but Carter will make famous whatever number he ends up with.
