2023 NFL Draft profile: Army edge Andre Carter II

There are certain positions where depth is a necessity.

That’s especially true for the 2023 Denver Broncos. Sean Payton and Vance Joseph need to add some pieces to this valuable piece on the defense.

Without a pick in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, Andre Carter II could be a player the Broncos take a look at selecting.

Andre Carter II — Edge — Army

Height: 6’6” Weight: 256 lbs.

Bench Press: N/A | Arm Length: 33 3/8” | Hands: 9 3/8”

40 Yard Dash: N/A | 3 Cone Drill: N/A | 20 Yard Shuttle: 4.36

Andre Carter II highlights

You see what makes Carer an intriguing prospect from Army. He has the athletic ability that jumps off the highlight reel. The first highlight is Carter in coverage. That right there is enough to pique Denver’s interest.

Scouting report

Positives

Experts agree about Carter’s raw athletic ability. But he’s also long and rangy with a wingspan that may excite evaluators.

The other massive upside with Carter is his frame and potential to add more muscle and weight when he joins an NFL team. There’s already evidence of him doing that when he first joined West Point at 225 pounds.

Carter has a high motor and speed that will help him as he grows and learns how to play the edge position. Keep in mind, Carter has only played edge for a few seasons. He was a receiver and tight end in high school.

With the right coaching, Carter could develop into a great player. The problem is he will need a few seasons to get there. If Payton and Joseph feel they can do that, we could see the Broncos take a flyer on Carter on Day 3 of the Draft.

Since he was at Army, you know he will take coaching and not be a problem in the locker room.

The other factor that makes him so intriguing is the season Carter had in 2021. It was then he finished second in FBS with 15.5 sacks. He also tied for 10th with four forced fumbles to go along with 44 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, one interception and two pass breakups.

As one AFC scouting director told the NFL website, “You won’t even recognize him in three years with how much his body will change when he’s on an NFL team. He’s going to be a lot thicker and stronger than what you see on tape right now.”

Strengths (from Lance Zierlein and The Draft Network):

• Undeniable height/weight/speed
• Standout athlete
• Slippery attack player who challenges blockers
• Explodes up the field to distress pass-setting tackles
• Fluid feet for seamless inside spin counters

Negatives

Carter is a very raw prospect.

As noted earlier, he he’s only played edge for three seasons after he joined West Point. So there are issues with leverage and flexibility as well as some instincts he just doesn’t have yet.

Carter also needs to play with skilled hands and get tougher and not be passive as a run defender.

But all of that can come from coaching.

After the 2021 season he had, Cater had issues dealing with the additional attention in 2022.

There are also some injury concerns. He suffered a back injury his senior year in high school and missed a few games in the 2022 season at Army.

Weaknesses (from Zierlein and the Draft Network):

• Needs dramatic improvement as a pass rusher with his counters
• Functional strength and ability on early downs is a question
• Allows easy attacks into his frame by blockers
• Doesn’t unglue quickly from punch once it lands
• Drag-down tackler

Carters’s fit with the Broncos

If George Paton and Payton are looking at Carter as a Day One contributor, he’s not the prospect they should look at.

But if they see the raw athleticism and size, and see a few years down the road, Carter should absolutely be on the table for the Broncos come Day 3 of the Draft.

It’s always a gamble when it comes to the Draft, especially on the final day, but when you see a player like Carter and the potential that jumps off the tape, Denver has to at least take a look.

After all, when it comes to the edge position, you can never have enough depth. Let alone talented depth with so much upside.