The Dallas Cowboys have a new cornerback in Caelen Carson.
With the 174th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson. The Cowboys seemed to be going with BPA here as Carson is a value pick at this spot in the draft. Cornerbacks are always in demand and the Cowboys depth was questionable making this a sneaky needs pick.
Carson’s game is most suitable for press-man and Cover 2 looks, although he’s capable of handling most coverages. He doesn’t have as many snaps under his belt as some prospects, so his instincts and break anticipation aren’t fully focused yet. He’s much better from press than off-man coverage and does a nice job of utilizing his physicality to rough up the release and contest catches when he’s in position. He works through route combinations from zone and will come downhill and strike with good purpose most of the time. Carson’s angles to the throw and as a tackler can be spotty, leading to missed opportunities. Overall, the physical traits are ahead of the positional skills, but there is enough in place to project him as an eventual CB3 .
Carson grades out as a top-75 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of the best value Day 2 CB prospects available. He’s one of the most compelling man coverage cornerbacks in the class and has a role waiting for him as an island CB in the NFL.
At around 6’0″, 193 pounds, Carson has a great build with lean mass and good length, and he couples that frame with terse explosiveness, quickness, and snappy fluidity off releases and route breaks.
Carson is one of the most proficient press-man CBs in the 2024 NFL Draft, successively matching WRs with technique and athleticism, then gathering and suffocating them with his biting competitive edge and proactive physicality.
Carson can use two-handed jams to gather and squeeze WRs against the sideline or use well-timed punches to stall their momentum and give himself leverage in one-on-one situations. He can recover and close ground with his explosiveness, and at the catch point, he’s an authoritative playmaker with great instincts.
- Round 1, pick 24 – OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
- Round 2, pick 56 – DE Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan)
- Round 3, pick 73 – G/C Cooper Beebe (Kansas State)
- Round 3, pick 87 – LB Marist Liufau (Notre Dame)
- Round 5, pick 174 – CB Caelen Carson (Wake Forest)
- Round 6, pick 216
- Round 7, pick 233
- Round 7, pick 244
Cowboys needs:
OT: Tyron Smith is no longer the Cowboys left tackle. That is something we haven’t said in a decade. With the All-Pro moving on and no heir-apparent on the roster, unless you count sliding Tyler Smith outside, the team needs a replacement.
C: Tyler Biadasz settled in with Dan Quinn in Washington, leaving a hole in the middle of the line. Brock Hoffman would be the next man up, but bet on the Cowboys bringing in some competition.
RB: No Tony Pollard after he moved on leaves Rico Dowdle as the top guy on the depth chart. There will be a body added here, it’s just unknown how early they will strike.
LB: The Cowboys lost Leighton Vander Esch to a medical retirement. New DC Mike Zimmer likes bigger, more traditional linebackers. They got Eric Kendricks, but they need more.
DT/DE: The defensive line’s depth was thinned out in free agency as Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Johnathan Hankins all departed. More bodies are required.
CB/WR: These two very important positions always need churning of the depth.
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