The Steelers drafted linebacker Chris Carter, from the Fresno State with the 31st pick in the 5th round (162nd overall) of the 2011 NFL draft. Carter is another college defensive end that will make the transition to outside linebacker in the Steelers 3-4 defense. Carter led the WAC and tied for ninth in the nation in sacks as a senior as he totaled 11 sacks. Right now described as a one trick pony and will need to develop more counter moves. He is a big kid at 6 foot 1 and 248 pounds with a good motor and good speed off the edge. Right now he is a classic speed rusher and dropped because he was a hard fit as most teams had him as a 4-3 defensive end. Linebacker coach Keith Butler thinks they can stand him up in a 2 point stance and thinks the transition could take a few years. Carter started 38 of 49 games at Fresno State (32 at defensive end, 6 at outside linebacker), including his last 26 games at defensive end. Carter started all 13 games in 2010 at defensive end and ranked 7th on the team in tackles with 55 tackles and 32 solos, including 11 sacks for minus 63 yards and 16.5 stops for combined losses of 93 yards.
NFL Combine Results:
| HGT | WGT | ARMS | HANDS | 40 TIME | 225 REPS | VERT | JUMP | 20 S | 60 S | 3 CONE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6011 | 248 | 33 | 9 3/8 | 4.62 | 27 | 36.0 | 9\’6″ | 4.34 | 6.88 |
Below are some videos of Chris Carter.
[flv:http://ll.video.nfl.com/films/s2011/nfl-total-access/offseason/110309_event_combine_chris_carter_700k.mp4 480 368]
