Zach Carter has quietly been a sneaky breakout pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023.
As a rookie third-rounder last season, Carter didn’t have a big impact, as expected, while picking up an interior position he didn’t play a ton of while also generally trying to adapt to the pros.
Carter opened up about this recently and, as captured by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, he’s also packed a ton of muscle onto his frame while prepping for Year 2:
The other development comes in the body reshaping of 2022 third-round pick Zach Carter. He’s put on 20 pounds of muscle to grow to 310 pounds with dedication and tenacity now understanding his role playing inside at 3-technique, backing up B.J. Hill.
The Bengals have been searching for their interior pass-rusher of the future since Geno Atkins faded into retirement and there was some buzz that Carter might have what it takes when he was drafted.
A second-year leap physically for pros once they constantly work with pro trainers and nutritionists isn’t uncommon, but it sure sounds like Carter has put in the work to earn more playing time and potentially break out.
