Zach Carter is entering his first year on the Cincinnati Bengals roster. What should fans expect from the rookie out of Florida?
Five of the Cincinnati Bengals‘ six draft picks were spent on the defensive side of the ball. Zach Carter was Cincinnati’s third-round pick and while some felt the team might have reached when taking him that early, he’s now going to don the stripes.
Last year while playing for the Florida Gators, Carter appeared in 12 games and racked up 31 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. He won’t immediately step into a starting role for Cincinnati but he’ll certainly be a depth piece for the stripes.
Bengals Roster: What should fans expect from rookie Zach Carter?
Unless injuries occur, the starting defensive line for the Bengals will be Sam Hubbard, D.J. Reader, B.J. Hill, and Trey Hendrickson. Carter is probably going to serve as Hill’s back up and he’ll get plenty of work in assuming he remains healthy.
Mike Clay of ESPN put together projections for every team and their players. Carter was obviously included in that and Clay projected that the third-round rookie will be present for 249 snaps and notching 19 tackles and one sack. Honestly, these numbers would be okay for a third-round rookie who is going to mostly serve as a backup.
The Bengals have put a lot of work into revamping their defensive line and Carter is another piece to the growing puzzle. He has a chance to prove that he was indeed worthy of a Day 2 selection in the draft.
Entering the draft, NFL.com noted that Carter would likely be a good backup with the potential to emerge as a starter. He’s in a good situation with the Bengals too, as they’re not expecting him to step in and start right away. He’ll have plenty of time to sit behind Hill and learn the ropes.
What expectations do you have for Zach Carter this year?