The Cincinnati Bengals made it three-for-three on the defensive side of the ball by taking Flordia’s Zachary Carter in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Carter fit more than just that defensive theme for the Bengals, too.
Like the two defensive backs drafted before him in this Cincinnati class, Carter’s got a ton of positional versatility that coordinator Lou Anarumo will love.
Carter, 6’4″ and 282 pounds, has shown on film and in the measurables that he can play either inside spot or even kick out to defensive end in certain formations.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein summed up the good and the bad:
“His skilled hands and quick feet make him a perfect candidate to move inside in nickel packages as a rusher. Some evaluators like his girth and envision him adding weight to become a full-time three-technique in a one-gapping front. Carter possesses the anchor for the point of attack, but needs to improve his stack-and-shed technique to make more plays in the run game. He’s a skilled, thoughtful rusher, but a fluctuating motor creates inconsistencies on tape. The sum doesn’t always equal the parts, but he has the size and skill to become a quality starter with splashy, interior rush potential.”
The Bengals, of course, continue to pick from a position of luxury, so they don’t need Carter to come in and be a force on every single snap. If he can rotate with B.J. Hil in the middle and cause havoc by otherwise lining up in unpredictable spots, the entire defense will be better for it.
Last season alone, Carter put up 11.5 tackles for loss with 7.5 sacks over 12 games in the SEC. He’s also got the leadership angle down, which is why Bengals coaches said after the pick went live that they had been considering him all night, not necessarily only in Round 3.
As a whole, pairing Carter with a returning name like Jospeh Ossai means the pass-rush could be even better next year despite the loss of Larry Ogunjobi. That will require coaches getting quite a bit from Carter right away, but it’s possible, and a pretty good value in the third round.
