2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Zachary Carter

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Zachary Carter, 6-3/285 Defensive Tackle/End Florida

Zachary Carter Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Quick at the point of attack

Skilled interior pass rusher

Quality first-step, get-off

Can fight through blocks as a pass rusher

Versatile

Can rush off the edge or inside

Speed to close

Has experience lining up at a variety of spots

Successful against good competition

Ready to contribute

Weaknesses:

Weak run defender

Gets pushed around in the ground game

Does not hold his ground well against blocks

Teams can run at him

Should improve downhill run defense

Tweener end/tackle

Summary: The Florida program is not the elite football factory it once was, but for the past couple of drafts, the Gators have had some good prospects who were recruited under former head coach Jim McElwain. A year ago, those players were led by Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Trask. Carter is the last of the good McElwain recruits who will end up being an early-round pick. Carter had 30 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2019 and then improved in 2020 with 36 tackles and five sacks. Carter had his best season in 2021, recording 31 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and eight sacks.

As a run defender, Carter has room for improvement for the NFL. He plays the run on the way to the quarterback, and he does not like to fight blocks at the point of attack. He could stand to add weight to improve as a run defender. If he were to play five-technique in a 3-4 defense, he will have to become a better run defender because that is essential for that position. Because of his run-defense limitations, right now, he is a heavy edge setter who can bump inside to tackle in the sub package.



In the pass rush, Carter has the ability to fire his gap. He uses some functional strength to shed blocks and can close quickly on the quarterback. He can line up over the outside shoulder of the guard and is good at getting penetration into the pocket. Carter also can beat right tackles with quickness around the edge. He has a nice lean and ability to sink his hips towards the quarterback. Carter could be a nice asset to line up over a variety of offensive lineman and go after the quarterback. He may never produce huge sack numbers in the NFL, but he could be a quality pass rusher who contributes to the rush package.

“[Carter]’s a heavy edge guy that would bump inside in the sub,” said a director of player personnel. “He is a tweener. Doesn’t like to grind blocks right now. He got tossed around versus the run in the Alabama game. He’s similar to Boogie Basham, but Carter is not as gifted.”

Multiple team sources feel Carter is a tweener, which is problematic. Taking a long-term approach, his best path to sticking in the NFL might be gaining weight and playing as a three-technique defensive tackle. His run defense, however, is a problem for that position. As it stands heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, Carter will have to fit at the next level as a defensive end in a 4-3 or a 3-4 outside linebacker who moves inside in the rush package. He could be a second-day pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Mario Edwards Jr. Some team sources have compared Carter to Edwards, which makes sense. Edwards (6-3, 277) and Carter are almost identical in size while being tweener end/tackles. Edwards was a second-round pick, and Carter could go in Round 2 as well. As a pro, Carter could end up being a similar player to Edwards.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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