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Andre Carter, DE
Round 1, Pick 7 , Overall 7
From: California

Height/Weight: 6-4/250
Speed (40 time): 4.75
 

Tackles
Year G Tackles Solo Assisted For Loss Sacks
1997 -- 21 15 6 7 3.5
1998 -- 39 33 20 20 10.0
1999 11 53 33 20 20 10.0
2000 11 59 44 15 19 13.0
Totals 22 172 113 59 54 30.5


    


Analysis by Pro Football Weekly:

Notes: Son of former University of Miami (Fla.) and Denver Broncos standout nose tackle Rubin Carter. High school All-America defensive end who also excelled as a weight man in track and field. Has started since the sixth game of his true freshman year, 1997, when he weighed in at 230 pounds. Second-team All-Pacific-10 selection in '98 and a first-team selection in '99 and 2000. Also was a consensus All-American in 2000. Carter had 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 3½ sacks in '97; 39-8-4 in '98, when he missed the USC game with a sprained ankle; 53-20-10 in 1999, when he also broke up a half-dozen passes; and 59-19-13 in 2000.
Positives: Very dedicated and determined. Extremely coachable. Known for his character and never-say-die attitude. Fundamentally sound. Excellent leverage player with ever-improving strength and power. Plays the run very well at both end slots. Has long arms, excellent balance and good functional football strength. Has spent most of his college career lining up on the strong side. Is not just a one-trick pony. Has double and even triple moves he can use when he needs them. Does a good job of coming off blocks and rushing the passer. Excellent athlete. Runs well. Very agile. Can jump like an NBA small forward. Has a closing burst to the ball.
Negatives: Undersized for an every-down NFL defensive end. Might be almost too disciplined and assignment-oriented and is very reluctant to freelance, even when he has a chance to make a big play. Is not a great pass rusher. Had a tough time with Illinois' young right tackle, Tony Pashos, in 2000. 
Summary: Top-flight defensive end who may be able to come right in and start as a rookie. Is well worth a first-round draft pick despite his lack of great weight and bulk.


 Info from The War Room:

Versus the run: Plays with great leverage. Has the strength to line up over the tight end and play on the strong side. Holds his ground and does a nice job of recognizing the run. Still is better at rushing the passer than stopping the run. Doesn't have ideal bulk, and opponents will target him in the run game as a rookie. Grade: 7.1. 

Pass rush: Doesn't have a top 40-yard-dash time, but has a quick first step and has some powerful pass-rush moves. Does an excellent job of getting upfield and working his way back inside. Has a strong club move, and initial quickness allows him to get a jump on most offensive tackles. Grade: 7.3. 

Initial quickness: Has exceptional quickness for guy his size. Shows great burst off the ball, comes out low and accelerates in his second and third step. Grade: 7.7. 

Run/pass recognition: Has done a good job of improving in this area. Always seems to know where the ball is. Film reveals that he tends to get too far upfield and will run himself out of the play. Grade: 7.0. 

Pursuit/tackling: Doesn't have great chase speed, but is quick and will make a lot of plays in the backfield. Is a sure tackler with good technique. Explodes through the ball carrier, and has some big-play flair. Won't make a lot of plays downfield. Grade: 7.0. 

Bottom line: Carter is a person of high character who gives 100 percent on every play. He is a great team player and has the tools to develop into Pro Bowl player. His draft status fluctuated throughout his senior season, but it would be surprising if he were still around by the 20th pick. 

Dan Pompei analysis

  • Is a top-effort end who can turn the corner. Is athletic and fast. Has long arms. Is clever. Has a knack for pass rushing. Is the son of former Broncos defensive lineman Rubin Carter. Scouts have concerns about his light weight. Is built like a basketball player with a narrow waist.


    • Player Bio
    Carter is one of those players who probably will get a GM fired. Either it will be the GM that drafts him -- after his lack of size and slightly below-average speed shows him to be a good college player but not so much of a pro -- or it will be the GM of one of the teams that passes on him. Carter's weight is a concern; he is listed at 265 but weighed only 249 at the Combine. But make no mistake, Carter can be a difference-maker. He is rated neck-and-neck with two other defensive ends, meaning he could go early or slip. He'd better have good technique because his father is the defensive line coach for the Redskins, and he seems to have improved every year. -- Profile by STATS, Inc.

    Info from CBS SportsLine:

    Quick athletic defensive end completed a record setting stay with the Bears, setting new career and season sack records as a senior. Carter is a talented athlete who flashed big play ability right from his true freshman year during the '97 season. He has a strong wiry frame and long arms with the growth potential to get bigger and stronger. He has excellent footwork and agility, combined with linebacker-type speed and the intangibles to make it all happen. 

    As a senior, Carter recorded 60 tackles with a 20 TFLs and 13.5 sacks, on his way to his second consecutive First-Team Pac 10 honors. He won the Morris Trophy, symbolic of the best lineman in the Pac 10 during the '00 season. He set a new single sack mark and also established a new career sack record with 31. His TFLs brought his career total to 55 tackles for losses, which was good for second all-time in Cal history. He has performed brilliantly against some of the best tackles in the nation over his career. Carter had his best game against Illinois' Marques Sullivan when he registered 9 tackles including 6 unassisted with 2 TFLs and also causing a holding penalty by Sullivan. He also had huge games vs. USC, UCLA and Oregon. Despite his lean frame, he has been a very durable defender over his career, playing virtually every play his final two seasons. 

    As a junior, he made 53 tackles with 20 TFLs and 10 sacks. The tackles for losses were the best by a Pac 10 lineman over the season. Carter plays with sound leverage on a consistent basis, that allows him to more than hold his own against much bigger players. He has the good upper body strength that allows him to neutralize more powerful players, though he could use improved lower body power to hold the point of attack better in matchups. 

    He has been double teamed since early in his career and has lined up mainly on the strongside, where he gets constantly chipped by the tight end. He has developed fine hand and arm technique that allows him to keep blockers off his body. He has outstanding speed that allows him to pursue from the backside and run down backs from behind. He has shown a fine work ethic both on the field, in practices, or in the weight and film rooms. 

    He is flawless in carrying out his assignments, displaying the ability to stay at home versus the reverse, and the agility and quickness to drop in coverage. He failed to play in any postseason all-star action which did not help his cause. At the combine, he checked in at a lean 249 pounds after playing between 255 and 260 lbs. during the '00 season. At the combine, he did not run, 38.5-inches vertical leap, 10-feet-5-inches broad jump and 20 reps. At the Cal workout, he ran a 4.51 time. There are real concerns about his ability to hold up against the run in the NFL, despite a nice showing in that part of defense. 

    His best asset is his speed off the corner where his fine footwork and hand-use frees him up to flash his big play ability. He can be slow on the snap at times which has to be corrected for him to succeed in that role as a pro. The fact that he did not play in the postseason and was undersized at the combine will hurt his draft status, despite a rigorous workout schedule. He could fall to the middle of the first round and behind the top two prospects Smith and Reynolds, on the fact he may be limited to a situational pass-rushing role early on as a pro. He is similar in body type to Simeon Rice, though he has played the run much tougher as a collegian. Talented playmaker with the tools to become a Pro-Bowl player.

    Draft Projection: 1st Round - Top 15

    Info from FoxSports.com:

    Carter is a solid pass rush prospect who has a solid football background. He comes off the ball quickly and gets upfield well. He shows good potential due to his pass rush moves with his hands and arms, but needs to work on improving his lateral quickness to make quicker adjustments to the quarterback. Is most effective at this point on stunt type plays. Although he is quick, he doesn’t consistently show a quick first step. He shows adequate closing burst to the quarterback.

    He is just adequate against the run. He shows the ability to locate the ball and holds his ground well at times because he has strong hands to help control blockers. Will get pushed off the ball at times because he will play a little high at times and will expose his chest too often.

    Carter has the tools to work with in terms of his initial quickness and burst to the quarterback, but just needs to continue developing his game. He takes a good approach to the game and works very hard. He isn’t overly intense or nasty, but has a good motor. I just like the way he plays and approaches the game so he is worth developing. He will develop into a contributor in the next few years. He needs to work on adding bulk to his lower body. Grades as a first round pick with his intangibles.

    Grade: 6.3


    Info from CNN/SI:

    Carter is a very productive all-around defensive end with experience on both the left and right sides. He lacks prototype size but is strong and is a high-intensity competitor. Carter is a solid pass rusher with a burst around the corner and good spin and swim moves, and also uses his legs very well on power rushes to push the pocket.

    Info from FansOnly.com:

    POSITIVES
    Cat-quick player with an explosive initial burst... Gets excellent leverage off the snap thanks to his speed... holds the point firmly in run defense and knows how to get his outside arm free to neutralize the double-team coverage... Gets across the blocker's face in a flash and uses his power well to defeat blocks... Maintains balance in pursuit and has the ball recognition skills to chase down backs from behind... Uses a classic arm-over move in his pass rush technique and shows superb body lean to pressure the quarterback... Uses his hands with forceful authority and consistently finishes plays... His acceleration out of his stance generally sees him fly by the blockers... Very effective on stunts. 

    NEGATIVES
    Lacks ideal lateral agility... While he's an instinctive player, he sometimes has problems with his reads and locating the ball... More of a finesse-type rather than an all-out aggressor... Does not have the lower body bulk or leg drive to stay low in his tackles... Tends to get upright coming off the snap, allowing blockers to get a piece of his jersey to knock him off stride. 

    CAREER NOTES
    Mainstay on the defensive line since midway through his freshman year... Product of the Bears' weight room, adding over thirty pounds of muscle to his frame since first arriving on campus while increasing his bench press by 85 pounds (415)... Ranks second in school history with 54 stops behind the line of scrimmage (tied with Jarrott Williard, 1991-94), topped only by Sekou Sanyika (63, 1996-99)... His 30.5 quarterback sacks broke California's all-time record of 28, set by Regan Upshaw (1993-95)... Finished his career with 37 starts, compiling 172 tackles (113 solos). 

    2000 SEASON
    All-American first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report... All-Pac 10 Conference first-team choice and runner-up for Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors... Rated one of the ten best defensive players in college football by The Sporting News... Team Most Valuable Player... On the field for 743 of the team's 746 defensive plays... Lined up at left defensive end, finishing second on the team with a career-high 59 tackles... Led the Bears with 13 sacks for minus 97 yards and 19 stops for losses of 111 yards... His 13 sacks tied the school season-record, first set by linebacker Ron Rivera in 1983... Caused two fumbles and recovered another... Credited with 36 quarterback pressures. Utah... Began the season in fine fashion, earning Pac-10 Player of the Week honors as he made 7 solo tackles with a 5-yard sack, 3 stops for minus 7 yards, a fumble recovery and 3 pressures. Illinois... Simply manhandled All-Big Ten offensive tackle Marques Sullivan as he registered 9 tackles (6 solos) with a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage and 3 pressures (two resulted in interceptions). Fresno State... Credited with 3 pressures (all resulted in incompletions). Washington State... Had a 9-yard sack, 4 tackles (3 solos) and 4 pressures. Arizona State... Knocked down ASU quaterebacks five times, coming up with 8 tackles (7 solos), 2 pressures, 2.5 sacks for minus 8 yards and 3 stops for losses. UCLA... Added 6 tackles with 2 sacks for minus 17 yards and 4 pressures. Washington... Sacked Marques Tuiasosopo for a 5-yard loss, pressured the Husky QB 3 times and delivered 4 tackles (3 solos). Southern California... Added 4 pressures (two resulted in interceptions), caused a fumble and made 9 tackles (8 solos) with 2.5 sacks for minus 32 yards and 4 stops for losses of 33 yards. Oregon State... Collected 3 hits with a 9-yard sack and a pair of pressures. Oregon... posted 3 pressures, 2 sacks for minus 12 yards and 3 tackles. Stanford... Closed out his career with a stop for an 8-yard loss and 5 pressures. 

    1999 SEASON
    Football News and CBS Sportsline All-American second-team choice... All-Pac 10 Conference first-team selection... Started every game at left end, recording 53 tackles (33 solos) with ten sacks for minus 83 yards and ranked second in the conference with 20 stops for losses of 101 yards... Recovered two fumbles and deflected six passes... Also had 38 quarterback pressures. Rutgers... Began the year by sacking QB Mike McMahon twice for losses of 17 yards. Nebraska... Dominated the Huskers' heralded offensive line as he had 6 pressures, sacked QB Bobby Newsome twice for a total of minus 23 yards, made 8 tackles and had 4 stops for losses of 29 yards. Washington State... Was in on 7 tackles (4 solos) with a 12-yard sack and 3 stops for losses of 15 yards. Brigham Young... Made 6 hits (5 solos), including 2 sacks for minus 10 yards and 3 stops behind the line of scrimmage. UCLA... Added a 5-yard sack. Washington... Recovered a fumble and had a stop for a 2-yard loss. Southern California... Had another fumble recovery, 2 sacks for minus 16 yards and 3 stops for losses of 17 yards. Stanford... Finished the season with 8 tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss. 

    1998 SEASON
    Second-team All-Pac 10 Conference selection... Played in ten games, starting nine contests at left end... Finished with 39 tackles (21 solos), four sacks for minus 34 yards and eight stops for losses of 42 yards... Recovered a pair of fumbles, advancing them 7 yards... Credited with 22 quarterback pressures. Nebraska... Delivered 5 tackles (4 solos) with a 6-yard sack and a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma... Recovered a fumble to stop a Sooner drive at the Cal 36-yard-line and had another which he picked off the ground and returned six yards to the Sooner 4-yard-line, setting up Cal's lone touchdown of the game. Washington State... Missed most of the game after suffering a high ankle sprain. Southern California... Did not play (ankle). Washington... Saw limited action (ankle) until late in the game, responding with 7 tackles on 11 plays. Oregon State... Added 7 tackles with a 9-yard sack and 4 pressures, including one that resulted in an interception. Arizona... Assisted on a sack and came up with 4 hits. Stanford... Closed out the year with a 12-yard sack and a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage. 

    1997 SEASON
    Played in every game, moving into the starting lineup at left end for the final six games... Made 21 tackles (15 solos) with 3.5 sacks for minus 15 yards, seven stops for losses of 18 yards and 12 quarterback pressures. Washington State... In his first career start, he made 5 tackles with a 5-yard sack, 2 stops for losses and 3 pressures. Washington... Added a 6-yard sack. Arizona and Arizona State... Delivered 4 solo tackles with a stop behind the line of scrimmage in both games. 

    AGILITY TESTS
    4.84 in the 40-yard dash... 2.96 in the 20-yard dash... 1.83 in the 10-yard dash... 4.08 in the 20-yard shuttle... 37-inch vertical jump... 415-pound bench press... 530-pound squat... 345-pound power clean... 240-pound snatch. 

    HIGH SCHOOL
    Earned first-team USA Today All-American honors as a senior at Oak Grove (San Jose, Cal.) High... Rated the nation's best defensive lineman and earned All-American accolades from Parade magazine... One of 26 players to receive Reebok Prep All-American recognition... Earned a perfect 10 votes on the Best in the West poll by the Long Beach Press-Telegram... Rated the top rush end in the country by the National Recruiting Advisor and ranked as the second-best defensive line prospect in the country by PrepStar... Super Prep All-American selection, rating as the fifth-best defensive line prospect in the country and the second-best overall prospect in the Far West region... Named the Gatorade California State Player of the Year in 1996... First-team All-State pick by Student Sports... As a senior, he had 20 quarterback sacks among 102 tackles and had an additional 12 tackles for losses... Set a state prep record with 28 sacks as a junior... During his career, he had 48 sacks as well as 22 tackles for losses... Also excelled in track, as he was a state finalist in the shot put (56'5"). 

    PERSONAL
    American Studies major... Comes from great bloodlines as his father, Rubin, played for the Miami Hurricanes and had a long NFL career with the Denver Broncos... Father coached the defensive line with the Washington Redskins... His mother, Diane, lives in Miami... Born 5/12/79 in Denver, Colorado... Resides in San Jose, California.
          
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