From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter.
NO. 0 BARRETT CARTER, LB, CLEMSON (SENIOR) – 6001 231 POUNDS
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Barrett Carter 6001/231 9 1/4 32 1/8 78 5/8
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A 4.41 N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’8” 34.5 N/A
THE GOOD
— Possesses good bulk for his size
— Displays good play speed and explosiveness
— Leaping ability aids in batting down passes
— Shows great closing speed in pursuit of the football
— Effective blitzer from the box or coming off the edge
— Makes a lot of plays in the backfield for the defense
— Effective QB spy with the range and speed to keep him contained
— Does a good job going through his reads and diagnosing the play
— Plays with shoulders square to the line of scrimmage
— Will stack and shed blockers as he approaches the line of scrimmage
— Does a good job completing his zone drops into coverage
THE BAD
— A tad undersized for the position
— Can get engulfed by sheer size and strength of offensive linemen
— Lateral quickness could be better
— Can over-pursue the ball carrier and not break down coming into his tackles
— Can do a better job running through his tackle attempts rather than leaving his feet
BIO
— Senior prospect from Suwanee, GA
— Born Oct. 23, 2002 (Age 22)
— Sports communication major
— Aspires to open a training center for young athletes
— Proud sponsor athlete of Handel’s Ice Cream
— Five-star recruit according to Rivals
— All-American Bowl invitee
— Played in 12 games in 2021 (one start) and had 26 tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown
— Started 13 games in 2022 and had 77 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles
— Started 12 games in 2023 and had 67 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six pass breakups, an interception, and a fumble recovery
— Started 14 games in 2024 and had 84 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, nine pass breakups, and a fumble recovery
— Third-team All-American (2024), team captain (2024), First-Team All-ACC (2024), Second-Team All-ACC (2023), three-time ACC Honor Roll selection (2021-23), three-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree (2022-24)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Clemson LB Barrett Carter was destined for the league since his days in high school, starring at North Gwinnett High School as a five-star recruit. Carter went on to play for the Tigers, and during his four years at Death Valley, he played in 52 games with 40 starts. He logged 254 tackles (31.5 for loss), 12.5 sacks, 24 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 2,482 career defensive snaps.
When you turn on Carter’s tape, you see a fast and athletic defender who flies to the football. He has great open-field speed and explosiveness, paired with the tenacity in pursuit to run down his prey sideline-to-sideline. Watch the clips of Carter below, flowing to the football with relative ease. He’s playing spy to the QB in the first clip as he brings him down, while running down a screen pass in the second clip against Stanford.
Carter is an aggressive defender who takes on blocks, both coming downhill and on the edge. He stacks and sheds with active hands to get in on tackle attempts. Watch the following clips below against Stanford and Georgia to see Carter get off blocks against both offensive linemen and running backs to make a play on the ball carrier for minimal-to-no gain on the play.
He can split out into the nickel as a coverage defender, but he will also work through blocks like you see here on this screen pass to the wide receiver. He forces the incompletion as he fights through the block attempt to break up the pass.
Carter is an effective blitzer at the off-ball linebacker position, having 12.5 sacks over the past three seasons. He does a great job working angles into the pocket and around/through blocks to the passer. We see that in this clip below against Florida State. He gets off the block by the left guard and locates the quarterback as the pocket collapses to get the sack.
Carter isn’t known for his pass defense, but the two-time All-ACC performer displays the skill set to run with backs and tight ends in coverage, make zone drops, and occupy his area with his head on a swivel. He has accumulated 24 pass breakups over the course of his career and has a knack for leaping up into the air and batting down balls. You can see that in the clips below, playing close to the line of scrimmage.
There aren’t many negatives in Carter’s game, but his relative lack of ideal size and length could cause him to get stuck on more blocks than you’d like to see at the next level if not kept clean. He also can tend to overrun plays and not break down properly when arriving to the football, leading to occasional whiffs like you see in the clip below against the Bulldogs. Carter rallies to the check-down pass in the flat.
CONCLUSION
Barrett Carter is a young, athletic defender built to play off-ball linebacker in the league. He has great character and is known for his leadership in the locker room. He can immediately compete for playing time as a three-down linebacker, best built for run-and-chase situations where he can flow freely to the ball while also being used as a rusher in blitz packages.
When coming up with a pro comp for Carter, Bobby Okereke comes to mind as another athletic linebacker with similar size and measurables drafted in the third round out of Stanford who has become a productive starter in the league. I expect Carter to go in a similar range and to develop into a similar player with the proper coaching and similar scheme set. Pittsburgh doesn’t need to draft a linebacker high, but Carter would be a quality addition if the team wants to go that route.
Projection: Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.2 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: vs Georgia (2024), vs Stanford (2024), at Florida State (2024)
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