It was about one year ago that outside linebacker Abdul Carter was arriving in East Rutherford as arguably the most exciting prospect of the New York Giants' 2025 draft class, and with that status came heavy expectations for the Penn State product.For Carter, who ended his rookie campaign with 27 tackles, 4 sacks and 66 pass pressures, the greater subject of his NFL introduction ultimately became a pair of disciplinary run-ins stemming from violations of team rules that took away from his time on the field.It's fair to say that both the Giants and their fans had hoped to see more from the young phenom last season. Still, as he begins his second training camp, this time in the mountains of West Virginia, where the team has been holding this year's practices, Carter says he feels wiser as he sets his sights on a more productive campaign."Obviously, I learned a lot," Carter admitted of his rookie season after the team's third practice session on Friday."But I feel like everybody knows towards the end of the season, I started to really find my stride. I started to figure things out. I'm going to try to carry that out to year two."Find that stride he did, as Carter went on to author five weeks towards the tail end of the season where he produced 3.5 sacks, tied for the best in that span, tallied at least 5 pressures four times and only missed two tackles.New York Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIn the previous 12 weeks, the 22-year-old was nearly nonexistent for the Giants' pass rushing department, logging just one sack while only meeting the same pressure quota twice.The sudden switch was all the proof Carter needed to see that, despite his undeniable talents, his off-field mistakes were hurting his hidden impact that the Giants believed he could offer to their defense when they selected him No. 3 overall."I think that's like – everybody knows who I can be as a pass rusher," Carter added."I feel like for me to really take that next step and be who I want to be, it's about me being consistent and applying everything. The run game, the pass rush, watching film, just doing everything at a consistent level."Carter has already shown promising signs of growth in just the first few days of training camp, including the maturity and competitiveness he has brought to team drills, which have drawn praise from teammates such as Brian Burns and Andrew Thomas.There is, of course, much more to be seen once the players go from shells to full shoulder pads in the coming week, but if Carter continues to shine and possibly wins over a starting role along the edge in defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's huddle, some of his rookie numbers argue he could reach greater heights in 2026.Just how high? Well, to Carter, the goal is to add one of the league's highest defensive honors to his early resume."I want to be Defensive Player of the Year, for sure," Carter said.While Carter's exact role has yet to be ironed out, as well as the veteran depth that exists in the outside linebacker room giving him some competition over the next few weeks, the rising second-year defender believes he can still reach his peak by following what helped him turn around what could have been a completely bust-worthy rookie debut."Just my process and knowing who I can be as a person and believing in myself," he said."I know what I'm capable of, and I know if I put the work in and believe in myself, trusting myself, trusting my teammates, trusting my coaches, I can be whoever I want to be."Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow