IDL, Georgia
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 300 lbs
Class: Junior
Carter was a highly sought-after prospect coming out of high school in 2020. A five-star recruit, Carter was ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the country and the No. 4 defensive tackle in the class. He predictably earned offers from some of the blue blood programs of college football, including Georgia, Alabama, and Clemson. He committed to the Bulldogs on National Signing Day and has built his reputation as a rising star ever since.
Carter earned a rotational role as a freshman, playing 287 snaps across ten games. His production exploded in his sophomore year as part of a fearsome Georgia defensive line that helped carry the team to their first national title since 1980. He continued his dominance in 2022, earning First Team All-SEC and Unanimous All-American honours in the process.
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Strengths
You only have to watch Carter for a short while to see that he possesses rare athletic ability. A player of his size should not be able to move like he does. He showcases excellent short area quickness, with bags of explosiveness off the snap to challenge opponents out of their stance. He is also remarkably twitchy for a bigger defender. His fluid hips and change of direction quickness routinely leave defenders flat footed and allow him to get into the backfield. It also helps him to be a force on stunts and twists.
All of this helps Carter to be a truly dynamic pass rusher from the interior. He finished the 2021 season with 32 pressures on just 273 pass rushing snaps. He also ranked 11th amongst draft-eligible interior linemen in pass rush win rate. Carter pairs his natural athletic gifts with a wide variety of moves as a pass rusher, including his go-to club and swim moves. He has also shown the ability to win from a variety of alignments and can produce anywhere from nose tackle to 5-tech.
In addition to his prowess as a pass rusher, Carter is also a high-level run defender. His lateral quickness shows up here, allowing him to neutralise reach blocks and shoot gaps off the snap. This allows him to blow up plenty of plays in the backfield. He also possesses the power profile you want along the interior, with the ability to anchor well against drive blocks. His good hand placement and ability to extend and control opposing blockers is also excellent.
On top of all of this, Carter showcases great effort and tenacity. His willingness to chip in and do the dirty work for that Georgia defensive front stands out and he is excellent at drawing double teams on stunts to allow his teammates to get a free path to the quarterback. There are also numerous examples on tape of Carter showing excellent effort as the pursuit defender, with good speed to chase plays down.
Weaknesses
Whilst there are no major weaknesses to Carter’s game there are definitely some areas for improvement. Despite benefitting from good natural leverage, his pad level can be a little inconsistent. On occasion this will see him get moved off his spot against the run. He could also benefit from adding a little more variety as a pass rusher. Whilst he flashes a wide range of moves, he tends to attack with finesse. You would like to see him take advantage of his raw power more often and employ a bull rush to collapse opposing lines.
There will also be some minor concerns around his usage and snap count. Kirby Smart makes a habit of rotating Georgia’s defensive front, which means that Carter has never had to deal with a high volume of snaps. He averaged 32.6 snaps per game in 2022, which was easily a career high. NFL teams will want to know whether he can maintain his high level of production over an increased workload.
Bottom Line
Carter is an outstanding prospect with all of the tools to translate his collegiate success to the NFL. His ability to make a consistent impact against the run and the pass is incredibly valuable for an interior defensive lineman and should see him drafted highly when the draft rolls around.
Ideal role: 3-tech in an odd front
Round projection: 1st round
