Carter Warren, OT Pittsburgh: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Warren was a three-star recruit from Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne, N.J. in the class of 2017

Pittsburgh offensive tackle Carter Warren is one of the oldest players in the 2023 NFL Draft. An injury cut his sixth college season short, but the four-year starter remains a legitimate prospect.

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Carter Warren, OT Pittsburgh: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth year redshirt senior from Paterson, N.J.

Background: Warren was a three-star recruit from Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne, N.J. in the class of 2017. He was the No. 454 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 346 (four-star) for On3.com. Warren was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he earned First-Team All-New Jersey honors and blocked for a rushing attack that amassed 2,229 yards. Warren chose Pittsburgh over offers from Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina, Syracuse, and Tennessee. Two of his cousins played college football. Darnell Carter played linebacker for Virginia (2006-10), and Keith Lumpkin was an offensive lineman at Rutgers (2011-15). Warren has already completed his bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and is working toward a second major in communication. He was born on Jan. 19, 1999.

2021 Production: 14 games, 5 sacks allowed, 9 penalties committed

2020 Production: 9 games, 1 sack allowed, 2 penalties committed

2019 Production: 13 games, 2 sacks allowed, 3 penalties committed

2018 Production: 0 games

2017 Production: (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a season-ending injury in 2022

Awards: 2021 Second-Team All-ACC

Pros: Four-year starter with more than 2,700 offensive snaps, quick reaction to the snap, gains adequate depth with his first step and kick slide, kick slide is smooth and quick but high, independent hand usage, appears to have impressive arm length, anchor helps him deaden bull rushes, well-proportioned throughout frame, mostly avoids leaning on defenders, maintains balance, some upside as a puller, guides pass rushes upfield and around the pocket, untapped upper body strength to improve his striking, hand placement, and clamping

Cons: Age, committed nine penalties in 2021, limited experience anywhere but left tackle, guilty of oversetting and opening interior rush lanes, false steps in initial set, beaten across his face, high pad level, struggles to prevent defenders from turning the corner, lacks a mauler mentality, doesn’t generate significant displacement in the running game, late identifying second level targets when climbing, lacks speed to close in on and block second level targets, GPS doesn’t activate in the run game, takes poor angles to defenders, struggles to clamp onto defenders and sustain positioning, allows defenders into his chest, exposes hands early, foot speed, lacks recovery athleticism, punches lack pop, not fast or agile in the open field, not twitchy, doesn’t consistently identify blitzers, blocks the wrong man when put in conflict, soft outside shoulder, high pad level leaves him vulnerable to rip moves, lacks balance and agility to consistently counter swim moves, forced to turn and open his hips to stick with speed rushers, hand placement is inconsistent

Overview: Warren is unofficially listed at 6'5", 325 lbs. He allowed pressure on 3.84% of his pass blocking snaps in 2021 and 3.77% in 2022. Warren is a four-year starter with more than 2,700 career offensive snaps who saw his 2022 season cut short by an undisclosed injury. He has a quick reaction to the snap and gains adequate depth with his first step and kick slide. Warren’s kick slide is smooth and quick, but he often plays with an elevated pad level, which causes leverage issues. The former three-star recruit operates his hands independently, which helps him deaden rushes and guard against mistakes. He has long arms and untapped upper body strength that will help him improve his striking and hand placement with more coaching. Warren has the anchor to deaden bull rushes and is well-proportioned throughout his frame. Warren doesn’t have much bend in his knees, but he mostly avoids leaning on defenders and displays good balance in pass protection. He guides pass rushes upfield and around the pocket to keep his quarterback clean. Warren offers some upside as a puller, but he’s not an impressive athlete in space. He performs better when operating in confined spaces. Despite being one of the oldest prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, Warren displays many warts. He has soft shoulders that allow defenders around his outside in pass protection or through his inside against the run. Warren is guilty of oversetting and opening interior rush lanes. There are frequently false steps in his initial pass set. He plays with a high pad level and allows defenders into his chest despite possessing longer arms than his opponents. Warren is vulnerable to rip moves and lacks the agility to consistently counter swim moves. He struggles to clamp onto defenders and sustain positioning. His footspeed is subpar, and he lacks the athleticism to recover when beaten. Despite good upper body strength, Warren’s punches lack pop, and his hand placement is inconsistent. The New Jersey native doesn’t always identify blitzers pre-snap and sometimes blocks the wrong man when put in conflict. He’s occasionally forced to open his hips and turn to stick with speed rushers. As a run blocker, Warren lacks an aggressive mentality. He doesn’t generate significant displacement and takes poor angles to defenders. The sixth-year senior is late identifying second level targets when climbing and lacks the speed to close on his targets. Warren’s sense of direction in space is poor, and he’s not fast or agile in the open field. Penalties were an issue in 2021 and showed up again early in 2022.

Overall, Warren is a veteran offensive lineman with a quick kick slide and excellent arm length, but his lack of athleticism in space and struggles as a run blocker suggest he’s in for a bumpy ride at the NFL level. Warren might benefit from playing in a more enclosed space at guard, although his pad level could be an issue in that role.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup left tackle/experimental left guard in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Late Fifth to Mid Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 12-09-22