NFL Draft Profile: Carter Warren, Offensive Lineman, Pittsburgh Panthers
#77
Pos: OT
Ht: 6055
Wt: 311
Hand: 0918
Arm: 3538
Wing: 8448
40: 5.25
DOB: 1/19/1999
Hometown: Paterson, NJ
High School: Passaic Tech
Eligibility: 2023
Carter Warren
Pittsburgh Panthers
One Liner:
Warren is a veteran offensive lineman with a quick kick slide and excellent arm length, but his lack of athleticism in space and struggles as a run blocker suggest he’s in for a bumpy ride at the NFL level.
Evaluation:
Warren is a four-year starter with more than 2,700 career offensive snaps who saw his 2022 season cut short by an undisclosed injury. He has a quick reaction to the snap and gains adequate depth with his first step and kick slide. Warren’s kick slide is smooth and quick, but he often plays with an elevated pad level, which causes leverage issues. The former three-star recruit operates his hands independently, which helps him deaden rushes and guard against mistakes. He has long arms and untapped upper body strength that will help him improve his striking and hand placement with more coaching. Warren has the anchor to deaden bull rushes and is well-proportioned throughout his frame. Warren doesn’t have much bend in his knees, but he mostly avoids leaning on defenders and displays good balance in pass protection. He guides pass rushes upfield and around the pocket to keep his quarterback clean. Warren offers some upside as a puller, but he’s not an impressive athlete in space. He performs better when operating in confined spaces. Despite being one of the oldest prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, Warren displays many warts. He has soft shoulders that allow defenders around his outside in pass protection or through his inside against the run. Warren is guilty of oversetting and opening interior rush lanes. There are frequently false steps in his initial pass set. He plays with a high pad level and allows defenders into his chest despite possessing longer arms than his opponents. Warren is vulnerable to rip moves and lacks the agility to consistently counter swim moves. He struggles to clamp onto defenders and sustain positioning. His footspeed is subpar, and he lacks the athleticism to recover when beaten. Despite good upper body strength, Warren’s punches lack pop, and his hand placement is inconsistent. The New Jersey native doesn’t always identify blitzers pre-snap and sometimes blocks the wrong man when put in conflict. He’s occasionally forced to open his hips and turn to stick with speed rushers. As a run blocker, Warren lacks an aggressive mentality. He doesn’t generate significant displacement and takes poor angles to defenders. The sixth-year senior is late identifying second level targets when climbing and lacks the speed to close on his targets. Warren’s sense of direction in space is poor, and he’s not fast or agile in the open field. Penalties were an issue in 2021 and showed up again early in 2022.
Grade:
6th Round
Quotes:
"Honestly, I want to show everybody that we can run the ball. Personally, you know, with the offense we had before prior, we primarily were passing the ball but I just want to show people that I can be physical, I can be dominant on the field when we're running that ball. That's what I'm looking forward to." -- Pittsburgh OL Carter Warren on what he hopes to prove
Background:
Born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 19th, 1999 to parents Todd and Lynette Warren, Carter Saint Warren was a decorated offensive lineman at Passaic Tech. In his junior season, the talented tackle helped lead his run-first team to a 10-2 record and the North 1, Group 5 title. As a senior, Warren was a key component of an offensive line that paved the way for a staggering 185.8 rushing yards per game (2,229 total). Passaic Tech went 9-3 and reached its third consecutive North 1, Group 5 championship game. For his stellar performance, Warren was named first-team All-Group 5 and first-team All-New Jersey. The athletic lineman was a highly sought-after recruit following his high school career. 247Sports Composite Rankings listed him as the 454th-overall player in his class, the 48th-best offensive tackle in his year and the 9th-ranked recruit in the state of New Jersey. Warren chose to attend the University of Pittsburgh, directly contradicting most experts’ prediction that he would play for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Despite his athletic ability and potential, the New Jersey native was not an early-impact player for the Panthers. Warren redshirted his first year and did not play in 2018. In 2019, he was named first-string after an outstanding offseason. He started all thirteen games. In 2020, he continued his campaign as the team’s left tackle. He played in each of the team’s nine games and started the first eight. Warren is not the only accomplished football player in his family. He has two cousins who played Division 1 college football. Darnell Carter was a linebacker at the University of Virginia from 2006 to 2010; Keith Lumpkin was a Rutgers offensive lineman from 2011 to 2015. Warren has one sister and is an administration of justice major.
