A Chiefs fan’s guide to the NFL Draft: The Linebackers

Lorenzo Carter – Georgia – 6’5″ – 250 pounds

While some of the prospects on this list don’t look like a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker, Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter definitely does. In fact, he almost looks like he was built in a lab for exactly that purpose. Physically, he is everything you could want. He has the length and wing span that you are looking for with blazing speed (4.46 second time in the 40-yard dash) off the edge.

You may be wondering why he would still be available in the back half of the second round if he is such a perfect OLB prospect. Well, the bottom line is that Carter has shown more potential than he has production. For a player with his physical gifts you would expect him to rack up big sack numbers against college offensive tackles, but Carter never totaled more than 5 sacks in a season.

Here’s a Twitter thread with several great clips but this first one shows you the speed he can bring off the edge.

Carter certainly isn’t Justin Houston when it comes to setting the edge but he does show the effort. In this clip you can see him get outside, read the play and disengage from the tight end to make the stop and force a fumble.

I think what may give me the most hope for Carter to unlock his full potential is his effort. It seems like a lot of talented players that are considered “raw” sometimes have a tendency to coast by on that natural talent. Carter goes all out almost every play. Watch the two plays in the clip below. Carter is at the top of the screen and chases ball carriers down on the opposite side of the field running all out to make the tackle where a lot of players would have jogged and watched.

Here’s the bottom line. If Carter is on the board in the second round and the Chiefs think they can unlock his potential in the NFL they should draft him. Period. The problem may be that another team (possibly as early as the late first round) could feel the same way. Like I’ve said in my cornerback and safety posts, I’m not a big fan of the idea of the Chiefs giving up a lot of picks to move up in this draft. I think they have enough needs on the roster that they need most of the picks they have. That having been said, if the Chiefs do trade up for someone, a player like Lorenzo Carter might be a logical target.

If Carter is off the board there is one other pure 3-4 OLB I really like in this class.