Army star now has path to NFL Draft after bill provision

Army linebacker Andre Carter II is going to get his chance to play in the NFL right away, and potentially be the highest drafted player out of West Point since the 1940s.

Thanks to some new language filed in a bill on Tuesday morning, Carter and other upper classmen from the three service academy schools (Army, Navy, and Air Force) will now have the option to defer their mandatory military service to pursue opportunities in professional sports. 

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Tuesday that a provision was included in the Omnibus Appropriations Measure allowing for the players to continue their athletic careers professionally. 

A bill was recently passed that was going to revoke a 2019 ruling that made players in Carter's position eligible to defer their military service to play pro sports. According to Thamel, the new provision says it "shall only apply with respect to a cadet or midshipman who first enrolls in the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, or the United States Air Force Academy on or after June 1, 2021." 

This is significant news for Carter who is projected to be picked somewhere in the first rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

ESPN's Mel Kiper has him projected to be the No. 22 overall pick in the draft. 

An Army player being drafted is an extraordinarily rare event, as only two have been picked since 1969. Quarterback Ron McAda was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1997 draft, while defensive back Caleb Campbell was picked in the seventh round of the 2008 class.

Only four Army players have ever been picked higher than the fourth round of the draft, with all of them coming before 1948. The only first round picks to come out of Army have been Glenn Davis (No. 2 overall) and Tex Coulter (No. 7 overall) in 1947, and Felix Blanchard (No. 3 overall) in the 1946 class.

Carter will now have a chance to join that group. 

Carter, who is listed as a 6-7, 240-pound outside linebacker, finished his career at Army with 96 total tackles, 25 tackle for loss, seven sacks, and two interceptions. He finished the 2022 season with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.