Andre Carter II NFL Draft Overview
Position: EDGE
Height: 6′-6 1/2″
Weight: 256 pounds
School: Army
2023 NFL Draft: Andre Carter II Scouting Report
After spending his college years with the Army Black Knights, Andre Carter II has decided to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. The edge defender didn’t exactly choose the best time to make this decision, as his 2022 season was something of a letdown. Appearing in 10 games, Carter finished the season with 41 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Andre Carter II originally joined the college football world in 2019 but didn’t play a single snap as a true freshman. He finally made his NCAA debut in 2020, appearing in nine games while recording 14 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one sack, and one interception. His best season came in 2021 when he recorded 41 tackles, 17 tackles-for-loss, and a staggering 14.5 sacks.
Strengths
- Smooth, effortless movement that offensive linemen just can’t match;
- Ideal combination of height and arm length – knows how to engage blockers without them engaging him;
- Potential to be lethal on stunts – blockers don’t have much time to react to someone this quick;
- Possesses multiple moves to get after the quarterback;
- Tall frame has room to add more muscle without weighing him down;
- Army training duties kept him from focusing on football year-round – stands to reason an NFL conditioning staff can improve his weaknesses.
Weaknesses
- Desperately needs to add some muscle – nowhere close to the strength needed to play the run;
- Took a step back after a breakout 2021;
- Height is a double-edged sword – center of balance is so high offensive linemen easily gain leverage on him;
- Looks like a deer in headlights when offensive linemen charge at him in the run game;
- Needs to improve his hand game.
NFL Comparison: Cassius Marsh
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: Round 3-4
Bottom Line on Andre Carter II
Andre Carter II has the potential to be a good player in a year or two, but he’ll need some time before he’s ready to reach his ceiling. The positive traits are all over his tape, as Carter is one of the best-moving edge defenders in this class. He’s quick on his feet, fast off the snap, and flat-footed tackles won’t be able to do much to stop him from getting at the quarterback.
His biggest weakness right now is his strength, and right now it’s so bad that he probably won’t be able to make it on the field as a rookie. Carter only recorded 11 reps on the bench press, which ranked in the 0th percentile (not a typo) among edge defenders, and that lack of muscle shows up every time a running back gets the ball. Put simply, he has a lot of work to do before he’s strong enough to play in the NFL.
While players improve from college to the pros, it’s rare for somebody to improve this dramatically. However, there is reason to believe that Carter is the exception to the rule here. As an Army product, the edge defender’s time was split between football and his actual training duties. Needless to say, these two responsibilities required dramatically different builds, and since he can now focus on football full-time, there is reason to believe he can add a lot of strength in a short amount of time.
At 6′-6″, Carter is a towering prospect whose frame can support a lot more weight without compromising his elite movement abilities. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so Carter will need time to physically accumulate this mass, but a patient team should be rewarded with a good, reliable pass rusher in 2024.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – USA Today Sports
