2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Carter Warren (OT – Pittsburgh)

As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Carter Warren.

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2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Carter Warren (OT – Pittsburgh)

Carter Warren (OT – Pittsburgh)

6’5″ – 325 lbs.

Background:

Three-star recruit who has been starting at left tackle since his first season with the Panthers, with a total of thirty-nine career starts there (plus one game in which he totaled 52 snaps but was not listed as a starter) before sustaining a season-ending knee injury in week four of this past season. Allowed nine career sacks.

Positives:

Highly experienced starter who made strides in each of his first three seasons. Has excellent bulk for a pro lineman and carries his weight well with a muscular build and what looks like good length. Plays the game with competitiveness, physicality, and a killer instinct; no questions about his temperament or toughness. Shows a solid understanding of positioning in the run game. Good enough athlete to get up to the second level and engage. Functional strength is very good, with active hands and the ability to jolt defenders on contact. Has active feet to grind down defenders and generate movement in a phone booth. Works hard through the whistle, with adequate hand placement and a strong grip to sustain. Pass sets look pretty good as long as he doesn’t have to cover too much ground, with solid knee-bend and a sufficiently-wide base; does a good job of replicating his form on a snap-to-snap basis. Proactive about firing out his punch in pass protection, making full use of his length. Above-average hand-fighter who does a good job of resetting. Has a good anchor, which he generally drops early to defend against power.

Negatives:

Season-ending knee injury this past year will raise medical concerns which may affect his stock. Gets overly aggressive and lapses into playing outside his frame and being a bit of a waist-bender. Overall flexibility and short-area quickness in pass protection are average. Inconsistent ability to stay connected when mirroring; struggles to keep up with defenders once his feet are planted to absorb the initial contact. Has to sell out to defend against explosive speed rushers, compromising his technique. Not typically penalty-prone, although he did get flagged nine times as a junior. Beyond lining up as an eligible player in some formations, has virtually no in-game experience anywhere besides left tackle.

Summary:

Concerns about the health of his knee notwithstanding looks like a safe prospect with plenty of experience on the blind side, an aggressive and nasty temperament, impressive functional strength, and above-average technique, traits that could turn him into a starter at the next level. Lacks ideal athleticism and may struggle against the faster and more explosive edge rushers in the league, but should be able to stick at tackle and could conceivably fit in either an inline or zone blocking scheme, enhancing his appeal to pro teams.

Projection: Round 3