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2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Barrett Carter

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Nick DeMao | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 5:39 PM ET

Barrett Carter NFL Draft Profile

College: Clemson
College Position: Off-Ball LB
Ideal NFL Position: 3-4 ILB / 4-3 SAM
Year / Age: Senior (22)
Draft Projection: Top 50
Where I'd Take Him: End of 2nd / Early 3rd

NFL Combine/Pro Day Results

**TBD at NFL Combine and Pro day

Background

Barrett Carter was born in Suwanee, Georgia, and played high school football at North Gwinnett High School; as a senior, he logged 73 tackles and 10 sacks. Prior to committing to Clemson, the five-star recruit (per Rivals and 247sports) had 54 offers with a short list of teams, including Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU.

Carter played four seasons at Clemson, playing in 52 games with the Tigers. In his final season, he nabbed 82 total tackles (including 11 tackles for a loss), 3.5 sacks, and seven passes defended. As a junior, he earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2023 and first-team All-ACC honors as a sophomore in 2022.

Carter also excels off the field, both academically and as a member of the community. He was named to the All-ACC Academic team in 2022 and 2023, and he was a semi-finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2023.

Had he entered the 2024 NFL Draft, many sites, such as Pro Football Focus, considered him amongst the top linebacker prospects. He was the most valuable linebacker in terms of wins above average metric; however, Carter elected to return to Clemson to handle "unfinished business."

Per PFF, Carter ranked 40th of all qualifying linebackers who logged at least 690 snaps.

It's that time #Bears fans for #BuildingTheBoard and today I want to talk about Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter. He's an uber-athletic linebacker who can rush the passer as well as lock up a running back or tight end in coverage.

✅ Has a great feel for coverage
✅Aggressive… pic.twitter.com/PtXcnRIgCQ
— Sniper1154 (@Sniper_1154) January 14, 2025

Strengths

Extremely athletic for a linebacker, can move sideline-to-sideline with ease
Excellent coverage skills, fluid hips, and ability to recognize route concepts
Aggressive blitzer who will relentlessly work through blocks and traffic to get to the quarterback
Disrupts short-passing game and eliminates the flat well
He displays a high football IQ, often getting his teammates in position pre-snap

Weaknesses

He is undersized for a linebacker, so questions will loom regarding his position in the NFL
Inconsistent tackler
He is easily washed out of the run game by larger tight ends and offensive linemen
A lot of his sacks were "clean up" sacks and not directly caused by him

Final Thoughts and Chicago Bears Fit for Barrett Carter

Barrett Carter is unquestionably the most athletic linebacker entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Recruited by Brett Venables, there was a reason the Clemson head coach was likening Carter to a smaller version of former top-10 pick Isaiah Simmons.

Carter is a rangy linebacker who isn't afraid to get his nose dirty in the run game but also has the versatility to cover a tight end streaking across the field. Clemson often used Carter as a quarterback spy, allowing him to sit in the short middle of the field and attack the quarterback once a play broke down.

With the Bears' current defense in flux after Matt Eberflus' dismissal, it's tough to say how Carter fits in. His best landing spot would be adjacent to a thumping inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense (ala Patrick Queen adjacent to Roquan Smith in 2023). In former head coach Matt Eberflus' 4-3 defense, Carter is best served in Jack Sanborn's role: the strong-side linebacker who doesn't see the field as often as his linebacking cohorts.

Many have Carter pegged as an early Day 2 player, and with the Bears having more pressing needs across the board, that is too rich a price. However, I see him more as a 3rd-round pick, and if he's available at 72, I wouldn't be opposed to the Bears taking a swing on him.

Pro Comp: Azeez Al-Shaair

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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