2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: OT Jackson Carman, Clemson
OT JACKSON CARMAN
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 335 lbs.
Class: Junior
School: Clemson
He played in just under 2,000 snaps in 40 games (27 starts) for the Clemson Tigers. He’s very accomplished and experienced. He was a five-star recruit, and the 459th ranked recruit of all time, according to 247 Sports.
He was recruited out of Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Ohio, back in 2018. He earned a spot on the Second Team All-ACC in 2020 and Third Team All-ACC in 2019.
Traits
A large hulking 330+ pound tackle with solid length and a wide base. He possesses solid overall athletic ability (for a man of his size) and movement skills. He tends to get a bit high in his, and his footwork needs help when setting - he doesn’t get the necessary depth a lot, and his foot quickness is adequate.
Vertical sets are wonky, and he prematurely has to turn his hips due to the EDGE rusher gaining more ground than Carman’s able to match. He does a solid job flipping his hips and using his solid length to push rushers up the arc.
The inconsistency with his sets and his lack of quality foot quickness concern me, but the power and size will intrigue teams--can he be better at guard?
Technique with his punches are more first-up than palm-up, which doesn’t engage the pectorals as much and relies on the lesser powerful deltoids - is a bit more of a younger (clasping) than an inside hand position type of player in terms of hand leverage.
- Find all of Nick Falato's draft profile scouting reports in one centralized location.
Punches are a bit high, and he does an excellent job dragging the defender’s momentum to the ground. It’s almost like a snatch & trap, and he flashed this several times against Texas A&M in 2019.
He uses his wide base and frame well to absorb contact with an excellent anchor, which is when he uses his very good grip strength to dictate the terms at the line of scrimmage.
The appeal with Carman comes down to his size and power. He can easily drive defenders off the ball and uncoil his hips through blocks--still a bit high but typically effective.
He’s going to struggle against speed rushers at the next level, and his footwork has to be fixed, but as a run blocker, he can fit into either a power/gap or zone system, albeit he may be a bit better in gap.
Overall, he’s an interesting lineman who played every collegiate snap at left tackle, but his lack of foot-speed, crispness in pass-sets, and hip fluidity may relegate him to the inside.
Offensive lineman typically aren’t this large with the solid overall athletic ability that he does possess; even though some problems rear their ugly head, I can still see the intrigue somewhere late on Day 2.
What's next for the Giants this off-season? Sign up for our FREE newsletter for all the latest, and be sure to follow and like us on Facebook. Submit your questions for our mailbag. And don't forget to check out the daily LockedOn Giants podcast, also available for subscription wherever you find podcasts.
