2022 NFL Draft Profiles: When Should the Jaguars Target Gators DL Zachary Carter?

The Jaguars clearly have some interest in Zachary Carter, but when does it make sense to draft him later this month?

Author:
John Shipley
Publish date:
Apr 5, 2022 10:17 AM EDT

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Florida Gators defensive lineman Zachary Carter and whether he makes sense for the Jaguars to target on Day 2 or 3.

Overview

A Tampa native, Zachary Carter entered the Florida program as one of the nation's top defensive line prospects. Ranked a four-star recruit by 247Sports, Carter was the No. 130 overall prospect (No. 3 strong side defensive end, No. 23 in Florida). Carter received 41 offers, including from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and USC.

Carter was redshirted as a freshman in 2017 and was mostly a depth player in 2018, appearing in nine games as a backup defensive lineman and special teams player. Carter recorded eight tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups before seeing an increased role in 2019.

As a redshirt sophomore, Carter appeared in 13 games and started two, recording 31 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and a pass breakup. Carter became a full-time starter in 2020, appearing in all 12 games and starting 11. He ended the year 36 tackles and led the Gators in sacks with 5.0 and 9.5 tackles for loss, along with a recovered fumble for a touchdown. Carter returned for his senior season, starting all 12 games and recording 7.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections and one forced fumble.

Carter earned an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, where he posted impressive numbers as a 6-foot-4, 282 pound defensive tackle prospect.

What Zachary Carter Does Well

Florida used Carter all over the defensive line thanks to the versatility his size and skill set. He lined up as a wide nine defensive end, stood up as an outside linebacker, lined up as a 3-technique and 5-technique, playing a true tweener role. He has the size and tools to do the same thing at the next level as well, though a strong side defensive end role may be his best ultimate role.

Carter flashes disruptive ability against the run thanks to his lateral quickness and effort. He can chase down plays from the backside and has the ability to stack and shed blocks before tracking down the ball-carrier. He flashes the ability to lock out blockers with his length, both on the edge and inside, and has enough quickness in a phone booth to make plays simply by being the better athlete.

Carter's bread and butter now is his pass-rushing skill set. While he doesn't have an overly consistent get off but he does have the natural explosiveness to overwhelm interior blockers with his first few steps, while also showing the lateral agility to shoot gaps and slip by blocks. He shows off a few legit pass-rush moves as well, including a rip, long-arm and inside spin.

Carter does a good job of engaging offensive linemen first and getting a push in the pocket thanks to a non-stop motor and active hands and feet. Carter is ultimately a high-energy and disruptive pass-rusher when lined up inside while showing the ability to line up on the edge and shoot inside on stunts and inside moves.

How Zachary Carter Would Fit With the Jaguars

The Jaguars are building a defense similar to what defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell worked with in Tampa Bay, and that defense called for extremely versatile linemen up front. The scheme is a base 3-4 but has a number of different sub-packages and fronts built into it depending on the situation and game plan, making it key for front seven players to be able to contribute in a number of roles.

Carter is exactly the kind of player who can do that. He doesn't have the upfield burst or overall speed to consistently rush off the edge, nor does he have the anchor or size to line up on the interior on most running downs. What he does offer, however, is a player who can be a big-bodied edge defender and edge setter against the run while also having the flexibility to slide inside on passing downs and provide athletic mismatches against interior linemen.

The Jaguars have other inside/out players on the roster in Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot but they need even more disruption in the middle of the defense. The Jaguars' interior defensive line failed to consistently bring pressure last season and the only player returning from last year's squad that can be considered a potential interior rusher is Roy Robertson-Harris.

Ultimately, Carter would give the Jaguars depth up the middle of their pass-rush while also giving them another defensive lineman who can line up and down the defensive line, playing multiple alignments. The Jaguars sent their defensive line coach to Carter's pro day and Carter said he has a visit scheduled with the team as well, showing clear interest from Jacksonville's side.

Verdict

It makes sense for the Jaguars to have interest in Zachary Carter. He fits a lot of the traits the scheme is looking for out of its defensive linemen since he has the ability to play a number of techniques along the defensive line and can provide a pass-rush from the interior. Considering he is a good athlete and produced as well, he is worth an early Day 3 selection, including with the Jaguars' first pick of the fourth round.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.