Alex Carrington NFL Draft scouting report

Alex Carrington

6'5, 285 pounds | Defensive end | Arkansas State

Pass rush: Carrington is a classic bull-rush pass rusher. He likes to extend his arms and power the offensive lineman backward. That may have worked a lot in the Sun Belt, but he’ll have to develop a better array of moves to get to the passer at the next level. Registered 21.5 career sacks.

Pursuit: Is a long strider who covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Displays good lateral agility to move down the line and make plays near the sideline. Gets into the backfield in a hurry.

Quickness/Explosion: Is good off the snap, but won’t blow a lot of offensive linemen away. He’s certainly no Dwight Freeney. Really does a nice job of firing into a defender to jolt them out of position.

Run defend/recognition: With his combination of size and strength, Carrington can be a real asset defending the run. He doesn’t necessarily do anything special in run defense but he’s very solid. He can hold the point of attack and rarely gets pushed backward. He keeps a good base, even against strong blockers (see Senior Bowl practices). Carrington always keeps his legs pumping to push a blocker back toward the ball carrier. Doesn’t need help to bring down a running back.

Size: There aren’t a lot of defensive ends with Carrington’s size. He has long arms and a strong frame. What’s scary is that he could get even bigger. But as it stands right now, he has an NFL body.

Strength: Has very good but not elite strength for a power defensive end. He’s strong enough to hold up at the point of attack and can offer a good bull rush. But Carrington has the frame to get bigger and stronger. Minor strength issues are demonstrated in his inconsistent ability to get off blockers. When Carrington plays with poor technique and gets too high, he doesn’t have the pure power to rip. Shows a strong punch.

Tackling: Carrington has long arms, which he uses to his advantage as a tackler. Combine his extension with a good short-area burst and Carrington is a good enough tackler. He has some trouble at times tackling while being blocked, so he doesn’t get a lot of single arm tackles. Doesn’t tackle with a lot of force, which is a little surprising considering how big he is. Shows the agility to get low and drive through the ball carrier.

Versatility: Carrington has a lot of value due to his versatility. He could probably make it in the NFL as a 4-3 end. But his size and skill against the run should make him a real asset as a 3-4 end. In obvious pass plays, he could even slip inside in a 4-3. Carrington also played on special teams as a blocker on field goals and extra points.

Final word: Don’t sleep on Carrington just because he went to Arkansas State. He could have gone to several SEC schools but chose ASU so he could be near family. There, he was clearly a star. Starting since his redshirt freshman season, Carrington was a difference maker. Even though teams schemed against him, he still made plays.

In the NFL, Carrington may not be the flashiest of players, but he should be a dependable starter for a long time. Given the amount of 3-4 teams in help of defensive line help, don’t be surprised if Carrington’s name is called before the end of round 2.

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