Giants Player Profile: Lorenzo Carter, EDGE
2019 Season Rewind
I was very excited when I heard Lorenzo Carter’s name announced as a New York Giant in the third round of 2018. I did extensive work on Carter’s game at Georgia, and I found that he was a versatile chess piece for the Bulldogs who lined up as an EDGE, in the slot, and as a linebacker, all while being tasked with a multitude of different assignments.
His athletic profile was off the charts--he's a 6’4⅞” 250-pound hybrid player, who ran a 4.50 (98th percentile), jumped 130” in the broad (98th percentile), and had a 36” vertical (81st percentile), along with 10⅜” mittens (87th percentile). He is a long explosive athlete, but he was relatively raw as a pass rusher.
Sadly, we haven’t seen him progress in that regard over the last two seasons. The Giants former defensive coordinator James Bettcher used Carter creatively, but he didn’t always put the young pass rusher in the optimal situations to sack the quarterback.
Carter logged 371 pass rush reps, according to Pro Football Focus, with 34 pressures. That is a 10.9 pressure rate. Carter had a rush percentage of 89.8 of pass-rushing reps that he saw; the other 10.2 percent was in coverage. 5.0 sacks, 10 hits, and 19 hurries were within the 34 pressures.
I would have liked to see Carter schemed in a way that could have put him in some 3x2 situations, whether through stunting or extra blitzing.
The problem with Bettcher’s scheme was the complexity of the back end of the defense. He didn’t have the flexibility to pull off a lot of exotic blitzes, as he did with the Arizona Cardinals, because the coverage on the back end was young and vulnerable.
With that being said, Carter still flashed his explosiveness, bend, and pass-rushing upside, but it wasn’t nearly as consistent or effective as the Giants hoped it would be.
In my opinion, his best game was the second matchup against Washington or the game in Foxboro against the Patriots, where he showed impressive bend around the edge.
Carter predominantly played on the right side of the formation as a right outside linebacker or as the right end man on the line of scrimmage, but there were also snaps with him at middle linebacker, and he would sometimes be on the left when it was the field side.
Looking Ahead
Patrick Graham has replaced Bettcher as the defensive coordinator, and I think it’ll assist Carter’s development and production. This is no knock on Bettcher; I honestly believe Carter would have been an excellent fit for Bettcher’s scheme if Bettcher had the necessary personnel, but he did not.
Graham’s defense is known for its multiple fronts and versatile nature. Graham will use roaming second-level defenders that don’t show their gap intentions until the snap of the ball. He employed this kind of defense often in Miami, especially in passing situations.
Carter’s athletic profile fits what Graham wants in these types of defenders. I feel Carter will be a better version of what Graham had in Andrew Van Ginkel and Vince Biegel last season down in Miami.
Carter’s going to align all over the defensive line and in the box, attacking all gaps on different downs and challenging the angles of the interior defensive lineman when he comes from the box.
Graham has to utilize the quickness and explosive nature of Carter and second-year pass rusher out of Old Dominion Oshane Ximines. Together with Kyler Fackrell, these two players look to be the three true pass rushers on the edge for the Giants.
I expect New York to do something similar to what New England does successfully. The Patriots don’t necessarily worry about the "blue goose" pass rusher. Instead, they’ll fit round pegs into round holes and put players into a position where they can succeed.
The secondary will be improved with cornerback James Bradberry and safety Xavier McKinney, and it’ll also be simplified, so 5-man pressure will be more common. Miami was one of the heaviest blitzing teams in 2019, and I expect something similar with the 2020 New York Giants.
I think Carter is looking at an 8.0-sack floor in 2020. It’s a make-or-break it year for him, but I expect he’ll rise to the occasion if he’s healthy.
Another aspect of the new coaching staff and what I like about their ability to mesh with Carter is Judge’s experience on special teams. Carter is explosive and has 34” arms; this can be used creatively in punt and field goal blocking situations.
Carter may have an opportunity to make a name for himself, in two phases of football, with this new coaching staff.
