5 draft prospects the Jacksonville Jaguars must keep an eye on in the 2023 NFL Combine

1. prospect the Jacksonville Jaguars should watch: Andre Carter II, edge

It’s not often that you see prospects that suited up for the Army have a first-round grade but that’s how good outside linebacker Andre Carter II is. Even though undisclosed injuries slowed him down in 2022, he logged 41 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, and 17 tackles for a loss the year before.

Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report scouting department believes Carter doesn’t have functional strength to go against NFL offensive linemen and might need to add weight to “hold up at the point of attack“. Holder goes on to say that Carter is better suited to line up in a two-point stance rather than with his hand on the ground, which would make him an ideal candidate to play in Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell’s system.

Carter could go late first-round pick but he could be available in the second round. The downside of taking the former Army Black Knight in the draft is that he might need one or two years to get fully acclimated to the NFL and the Jaguars might be better off adding someone who can contribute right off the bat to their pass rush rotation.

Then again, Carter could give a tough choice to Jacksonville if he impresses in the combine. After all, general manager Trent Baalke has a solid track record of identifying edge rushers in the draft, and if Carter does well in Indianapolis, he could move up a few spots in the Jaguars’ big board.