Alex Carter: Chicago Bears Draft Prospect Profile
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With the draft less than a month away Beargoggleson will be breaking down a wide range of options for the Chicago Bears in the 2015 draft. We’ll start with the potential first round options, profile some possible day 2 prospects, and finish up with some under the radar day 3 players who I think could be good fits for the Bears new schemes on both sides of the ball. As always, if you have any complaints, advice, or questions please let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
College Career:
Former top recruit out of high school who earned a starting spot with the Cardinal as a freshman and was named Pac-12 honorable mention all three years as a starter. His production in college didn’t stand out with only a few interceptions, but opposing QBs avoided him often and Carter has the size and speed that NFL teams covet right now.
Strengths:
Great size (6’0 | 196) and excels in both press and zone coverages. His strength (17 reps), short area quickness, and elite vertical (40″) make Carter a good fit for teams that run press (Seattle), zone (Tampa), or a combo (Bears?) and worst case he will be a weapon in red zone coverage with his height, vertical, and good football awareness. He is solid in run support as well.
Weaknesses:
Man coverage is really the only concern with Carter. He’s not quick enough to stick with NFL receivers in man coverage for more than a few seconds. He struggles with his back to the football and draws too many penalties when he has to turn and run with receivers.
Bears Fit:
If new DC Vic Fangio and new DB coach Ed Donatell are going to run the same coverage scheme that they ran in San Francisco, which was a mix of press and zone coverages, than Carter is actually a perfect fit and may be available when the Bears pick in round 2. He probably won’t still be there in round 3, so they will have to decide if corner is a glaring enough need to use the #39th overall pick on. Pairing Carter with last year’s 1st round pick Kyle Fuller would give the Bears two long, physical corners who are good in run support and could potentially solidify the position for the next few years.
Highlights: