As a two-time All-ACC linebacker with three years of starting tape, Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter is one of the most accomplished players at his position in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With the draft just right around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before he hears his name called and joins an NFL team.
Barrett Carter Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 231 pounds
- Position: Linebacker
- School: Clemson
- Current Year: Senior
Carter’s Scouting Report
A five-star recruit coming out of North Gwinnett High School, Carter was the top-rated linebacker in the 2021 class. The Suwanee, Georgia native committed to play college football for Clemson after a heated recruiting battle.
In his freshman year, Carter factored into Clemson’s rotation as a reserve, seeing time on special teams. He started in one game and played in 13, finishing the year with 16 total tackles. He also recovered a fumble three yards for a touchdown.
With the Tigers losing Baylon Spector and James Skalski to the NFL, Carter made the jump to the starting lineup in 2022 and excelled. He started in all 13 games and tallied 73 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and eight pass deflections.
After his productive sophomore year, Carter generated plenty of NFL buzz going into 2023. He kept up his productive ways as a junior in a second-team All-ACC campaign. He ended up with 62 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception, and five pass deflections.
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Though he found himself on the NFL radar going into the 2024 NFL Draft, Carter decided to stay at Clemson for his senior year. His decision paid off, as he ended the 2024 season as a first-team All-ACC linebacker and third-team AP All-American.
In the 14 games he played and started, Carter had a personal-best 82 tackles, along with 11 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and seven pass deflections.
Strengths
- Three-year starter at the Power 4 level.
- Versatile defender who can rush off the edge and defend out of the slot, taking significant reps in all alignments over the course of his time with the Tigers.
- Explosive athlete who accelerates very well shooting downhill.
- Longitudinal agility allows him to burst coming out of his backpedal.
- Changes direction well in space with a low center of gravity that helps him generate some nice spring in his step.
- Rangy defender who can cover sideline-to-sideline thanks to his speed and effort in pursuit.
- Offers good spatial awareness as a blitzer with good hand activity that helps him rush the passer, whether up the A-gap or off the edge.
- Has shown good instincts in coverage, picking up on route concepts well across the middle of the field.
- Athletic enough to project as a potential impact player in coverage for the linebacker position.
- Involved in the community, visiting schools, and reading books to children.
Weaknesses
- Average size and average play strength for an off-ball linebacker.
- Active hands help him with shedding blocks, but he doesn’t have ideal anchor strength needed to help him hold up blocks at the line of scrimmage.
- Has a tendency to get swallowed up when he takes on blocks head-on.
- Much more of a defender who needs to be schemed into space than someone who can consistently thrive in condensed areas.
- Instincts processing as a run defender needs some work.
- Comes off as more reactive than instinctive in run support, as his ability to fill up gaps downhill is inconsistent due to improper pursuit angles.
Current NFL Draft Projection and Summary
Barrett Carter is one of the rangiest linebackers in the 2025 NFL Draft.
An explosive athlete with impressive agility and straight-line speed, Carter is able to make plays all over the field due to his athleticism and high motor. He fights hard to get to the ball-carrier in pursuit.
Given his versatility and experience in several alignments across the defense, Carter should be deployed as a do-it-all linebacker. He brings particular upside on passing downs because of his abilities as a blitzing defender and upside in coverage.
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At this stage of his career, Carter is an inconsistent processor, which has been arguably the main thing holding him back from becoming a first-round talent. Additionally, he’s a tad bit undersized and needs to get a bit stronger as he prepares to jump to the NFL.
Carter has the tools of a Day 2 prospect, though Round 3 seems like a better value for him than Round 2. With his athleticism and experience, he could compete for a starting spot right away in the NFL, though he could benefit from working in a rotation in Year 1 before getting the reigns as a full-time starter.