Instant analysis: Cowboys draft Wake Forest cornerback Caelen Carson at 174 overall

Here are our immediate thoughts on cornerback Caelen Carson.

The Dallas Cowboys came into day three of the 2024 NFL Draft feeling good. Dallas added four impact players, courtesy of the trade with the Detroit Lions, in the first two days of the draft and entered the final day without a real glaring need on the roster except running back.

After over 70 picks went off the board between their selections, the Cowboys were finally back on the clock at pick 174. With that selection, Dallas decided to upgrade their secondary, selecting cornerback Caelen Carson out of Wake Forest with the 87th pick.

Carson, who was a four-year starter, is a lengthy cornerback who posted some impressive production at Wake Forest. Despite missing 11 games due to injury in his final three seasons, the 22-year-old recorded 29 pass defenses during his college career.

He has experience playing on both the inside and outside and also had a role on special teams in punt coverage during his collegiate career. He is recognized as a player who will get physical and support the run defense. One thing that could be improved on is his ability to take the ball away.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic had Carson ranked as his 13th-best cornerback in the draft. Here’s what Brugler had to say about the Wake Forest product.

A four-year starter at Wake Forest, Carson was a perimeter cornerback in defensive coordinator Brad Lambert’s multiple -coverage scheme (often shadowed the opponent’s top receiver). Although injuries kept him off the field at times, he was productive from the moment he stepped foot on campus and accounted for 29 passes defended over his 36 games played. Well-schooled in different types of coverage, Carson is a versatile, heady athlete with the spatial awareness and loose movements to make abrupt mid-route adjustments and stay in phase with receivers.

His risk-taking was inconsistent on film, and he needs to do a better job taking the football away when the quarterback makes mistakes (his last interception came September 2021). Overall, Carson needs to prove he can stay healthy and be on the field for a full season, but he has the competitive athleticism and football IQ needed for coverage duties in the NFL. He offers inside-outside versatility and projects as an eventual NFL starter.

Dallas needed to add another body to their cornerback room and they got that at pick 174. Carson provides inside-outside versatility and will give Dallas’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer a young, experienced cornerback with some upside to work with. Based on many reports, the Cowboys got good value with this pick.