Chiefs Draft Film Review: Army EDGE Andre Carter II

There are plenty of expectations for young men and women who have been in the military, thanks to the difficult training they undertake — and the rigid attention to detail that is expected of them. Still, we rarely see top NFL talent coming from the football programs of the service academies. But Andre Carter II — who plays at a position where the Kansas City Chiefs need young talent — could be an exception.

Army EDGE Andre Carter II

As a 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver, the Houston, Texas native was an unranked, unrecruited prospect back in 2018. Now, however, Carter stands 6-feet-7 and weighs 260 pounds — and is regarded as one of the top pass rushers in college football. Over the last few years, Carter has shown determination and dedication to his craft.

As a junior in 2021, he went on a lot of radars with 14.5 sacks, 17 tackles-for-loss and an interception. He hasn’t replicated that success this season — but in large part, that can be attributed to opponents scheming against him, creating ways to make him a non-factor. He has plenty of athleticism (and a first-step burst), but he can learn and grow into an absolute disrupter at the next level.

You can see him in action on CBS during the annual Army-Navy game, which will be played Saturday at 2 p.m. Arrowhead Time.

Here we see Carter (no. 34) in a two-point stance, which is typically how he lines up for the Black Knights. He is able to squeeze down enough to make contact with the ball carrier, then hang on to swing him down for the tackle. His path could be a little narrower — allowing for a better angle — but he makes the play.

One of the knocks on Carter’s game is winning beyond the initial move. He is able to beat a lot of offensive linemen on his first step but struggles to do much if he gets locked up.

Here we see his progress halted — and he fails to do much after that. He has the right build to add muscle to his frame, which will allow for more violent use of his hands.

Here is another example of Carter being beaten by the offensive tackle. His rip back to the inside is thwarted — and you can see how he could benefit from being stronger.

But here we see what Carter brings to the table: he can make winning look effortless. His pressure forces the quarterback to step up in the pocket where there is a jumble of bodies. Carter’s initial quickness cannot be taught, which makes him worth developing.

While Carter is not afraid to dig into his bag of tricks, some of them need to be perfected a bit more. His spin back to the inside is a work in progress — but once he gets more reps under his belt, it could be a scary maneuver.

Here is a nice little move where Carter seems to teleport around a blocker, using almost basketball-like footwork as he twitches to avoid contact. At his size, you don’t anticipate such a quick twitch — so when he breaks it out, it catches opponents off-guard.

On this play, Carter utilizes an inside rush move — and is in a perfect spot to disrupt the running play. Unfortunately, he appears to lose track of the ball — and doesn’t make the contact he might have. While it is still a positive play for the defense, it seems like a missed highlight for Carter.

Here, Carter breaks out another spin move to the inside with what appears to be a little more comfort and effectiveness. The ball is out quickly enough that he just misses the sack, but the way he sets up the offensive tackle up with a faux-swim move — and then hits him with the spin back inside — is impressive. Improving his timing and transition will help him sharpen up this move.

The bottom line

Carter will most likely draw interest from multiple NFL teams. His rare combination of size, length and athleticism will attract the attention of defensive coordinators who will want to use him in a role similar to that of Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Micah Parsons. On draft night — given his natural talent and skillset — he may creep into the back end of the first round.

Along their defensive line, the Chiefs need athletic players who can be effective pass rushers. If the cards fall the right way, they could turn Carter into a monster.