Barrett Carter NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Clemson LB

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 230

HAND: TBD

ARM: TBD

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: TBD

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: TBD

BROAD: TBD

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POSITIVES

— Impressive movement skills overall; good change of direction and speed.

— Can cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage with his athletic ability.

— Good eye discipline in zone coverage to locate threats coming into his area. Has shown good route recognition to pattern-match.

— Speed helps him close in coverage and crash downhill against the run.

— Physical and strong at the point of attack to set the edge when taking on blocks against tight ends.

— Takes good angles in pursuit against outside runs.

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NEGATIVES

— Drops his hands when taking on blocks from offensive linemen and lacks strength to hold his ground. Also gets stuck on blocks.

— Shaky instincts against the run are shaky. Often fits into the wrong gap.

— Passive when tackling. Lets ball-carriers come to him when he can reduce space or yards.

— Needs to do a better job of understanding how to use safety help in zone coverage. Will overplay his leverage instead of funneling the receiver into the safety.

— Subpar ball skills in coverage. Struggles to locate the ball in the air and lacks the hand-eye coordination to get PBUs.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 62 TOT, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 SK, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 FR

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NOTES

— Born Oct. 23, 2002

— 5-star recruit in 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2023 (Ankle, missed 1 game), 2022 (Concussion, missed 1 game)

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OVERALL

Barrett Carter is a very good coverage linebacker. He has impressive athleticism that allows him to man up against running backs and tight ends, and he has the speed to carry them down the field. He also has good eye discipline in zone coverage and has the ability to pattern-match, which is significant considering how modern NFL defenses function.

However, Carter's run defense is a big work in progress. His subpar instincts can put him in bad positions to take on blocks, and he will often leave his gap open. He also needs to get stronger to take on blocks from offensive linemen.

While he has shown the ability to slip blocks with his athleticism, he gets swallowed up by blockers who are athletic or more measured when working to the second level.

With all of that being said, the Clemson product is strong and physical against tight ends in the run game to set the edge. That, plus his coverage skills, can make him a good "Sam" linebacker in the NFL

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GRADE: 7.7 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 28

POSITION RANK: LB2

PRO COMPARISON: Kwon Alexander

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder