Carter Smith

Draft Projection

Measurements

Athletic Testing

College Statistics

Strengths

• Brings a temperament and competitive fire that offensive line coaches crave—plays through the echo of the whistle with violent intentions and refuses to let defenders disengage once he's latched on.
• Possesses grip strength that borders on unfair for finesse rushers who find their counters neutralized the moment Smith's hands clamp onto their frame, creating a vise that eliminates swim and spin attempts.
• Devastates opponents as a run blocker with explosive pad level off the snap, generating torque through his hips and core to seal edges on stretch plays or pancake defenders on inside power schemes.
• Displays remarkable awareness on double-teams and combo blocks, understanding precisely when to peel off to the second level and how to angle his body to wall off linebackers from pursuit lanes.
• Functions as a legitimate lead blocker on pulling schemes despite lacking elite lateral burst, using intelligence and anticipation to arrive on time and deliver punishing contact on defensive backs and linebackers.
• Maintains a stable anchor in pass protection through excellent knee bend and pad level that allows his thickly-built frame to absorb power rushers without surrendering ground, rarely getting walked back into the pocket.
• Hustles downfield in the screen game with better technique than expected for a tackle, keeping his frame squared and positioning himself to sustain blocks rather than whiffing on space.
• Shows active hands after initial engagement, working to maintain extension and control throughout the rep rather than striking once and hoping for the best—constantly adjusting and fighting for positioning.

Areas to Improve

• Arm length measurements will be critical come Indianapolis, as his build appears undersized for the tackle position and his extension can leave him vulnerable to longer-armed edge rushers who win at the point of attack.
• Gets grabby with hand placement when threatened off the edge, leading to holding flags that NFL officials will throw without hesitation—tendency to latch and pray when beaten rather than recover technically.
• Struggles protecting his outside shoulder against speed-to-power converters from wide-9 alignments, occasionally opening his hips prematurely and turning his shoulders when he can't get depth on his kick-step fast enough.
• Lateral quickness falls into the adequate-at-best category, limiting his ceiling against elite NFL edge benders who can threaten the arc with pure speed—relies more on anticipation than burst to mirror.
• Played exclusively at left tackle throughout his career with zero meaningful experience at guard or right tackle, creating projection questions about whether his physical profile forces a position switch he's never attempted.