2018 Jets Draft Prospect: OLB Lorenzo Carter

2018 Jets Draft Prospect Profile

Name: Lorenzo Carter

Position: OLB/DE

School: Georgia

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 245 pounds

Athleticism

Speed: At Georgia, Carter won a lot against opposing linemen with his speed. His flexibility and athleticism to bend the corner allowed him to pressure the quarterback regularly and force a lot of mistakes. His explosiveness to turn the edge and get to the passer is coveted in the NFL today.

Physicality: With his tall frame, long arms and explosive speed, Carter has all the physical tools needed to excel at the pro-level. His quickness combined with a long athletic body is sure to have a number of teams eyeing him as a potential 2nd-3rd round draft choice.

Play Style

Tackling: Carter was quite active as tackler during his time at Georgia. He displayed the ability to search for and yank at the football. His collegiate career numbers showcase his tackling ability even further with six forced and recovered fumbles and 15 sacks.

This is what you love about Lorenzo Carter. Couldn't have played this option any better. pic.twitter.com/71ipTmC0w5

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) April 11, 2018

Defending: The lengthy OLB was also a force against the run at Georgia. His build-up speed creates downfield angles to the sideline to challenge ball carriers and receivers after catch, making him proficient in coverage as well. While he may need to bulk up a bit more to handle downfield running approaching his doorstep, Carter’s athleticism makes him a great plug-n-play all over the field.

Jets Fit:

The Jets finished 28th in the NFL in sacks last season with just 28 quarterback takedowns. In Gang Green’s 3-4 defensive scheme, a lot of the struggles stemmed from the outside linebackers/edge rushers. It is an glaring issue that many around the team hope to patch up this offseason.

To be more specific, the Jets’ edge rushers had quite the disappointing year. Totaling only eight sacks between three players was downright bad. Lorenzo Mauldin and Dylan Donahue were also limited due to injuries, yet the remaining edge rushers failed to step up in times of need.

With question marks surrounding both Donahue and Mauldin, and the Jets leading edge rusher last year (David Bass) only having 3.5 sacks, the need for an effective pass rusher becomes quite obvious.

This where Lorenzo Carter could see immediate return on investment. Although he didn’t blow the minds of scouts with his minimal 15 sacks, Carter presents an athletic force that could allow him starting honors in his first year. As a 5-star recruit out of high school, Carter could bring immense potential as a pass rusher. He still has a lot to improve on, but a smart defensive coordinator in Kacy Rodgers could implement great and speedy growth.

– Kyle Hirshkind is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Jets and covers the New York Jets. Like and follow on Follow @kylehirshkind Follow @FPC_Jets