DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 3 overall
Some folks undoubtedly feel this ranking is too high, given Carter’s underwhelming sack total. I actually think it’s too low, given Carter’s overwhelming talent. The No. 3 overall pick isn’t without warts, of course, especially considering he was benched on two separate occasions for behavior that his teammate Dexter Lawrence called “hard-headed.”
“Just grow up, really,” Lawrence said to reporters back in early December. “I think he loves football and he takes it serious. His approach to the game is really good. Just young stuff that can’t happen.”
Sexy Dexy’s right: Carter must eliminate the nonsense, or he’ll sabotage a skill set that jumps off the screen. For what it’s worth, the rookie logged 3.5 of his four sacks after the second benching. That’s the kind of response you want to see from a 22-year-old with rare ability. The 6-3, 252-pounder boasts explosiveness you can’t teach. Nothing exhibits this better than Carter’s 48 quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds), the highest total in the entire league.