Bengals: Zach Carter's breakout depends on more than just added bulk
Generating a more consistent pass rush became a goal for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. The signing of Tarell Basham and drafting of Myles Murphy gives the defensive line added depth and explosion, setting up the team's best rotation at edge defender in recent memory. In comparison, the defensive tackle position received breadcrumbs as reinforcements. […]
Generating a more consistent pass rush became a goal for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. The signing of Tarell Basham and drafting of Myles Murphy gives the defensive line added depth and explosion, setting up the team's best rotation at edge defender in recent memory.
In comparison, the defensive tackle position received breadcrumbs as reinforcements. A couple of undrafted free agents won't make much of a difference this season barring any surprises.
The biggest impact that can happen is if second-year player Zach Carter finds a groove, and he's taking one path to make that happen.
Per The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., Carter has added 20 pounds of muscle this offseason in preparation for a more defined role as the backup 3-technique behind starter B.J. Hill.
As a rookie, Carter played closer to 290 and struggled mightily to start the season. He showed improvements in run defense as the season progressed, but displayed little promise when rushing the passer. He attributed these struggles to playing inside full-time, which was a change of pace from his college days at Florida.
"The other development comes in the body reshaping of 2022 third-round pick Zach Carter. He’s put on 20 pounds of muscle to grow to 310 pounds with dedication and tenacity now understanding his role playing inside at 3-technique, backing up B.J. Hill. He admitted mentally the game was a struggle for him at times as a rookie, not knowing where he would play, undersized to move inside at 290 and needing to learn the nuances of a position he didn’t play all that much at Florida." – The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr.
But it's not just added muscle that will fix Carter's issues. Learning how to attack NFL offensive linemen with a plan is a necessity if you can't just bull rush your way to glory all the time. Carter is a good athlete, but playing at a larger size than he's ever done before won't necessarily make him quicker or more explosive.
In his first 15 games, Carter was graded out at 29.8 in run defense and 49.6 against the pass, per Pro Football Focus. From Week 16 through the AFC Championship game, Carter was the defensive line's highest-graded run defender (75.8), but his pass rush grade was still below average at 59.4.
Carter's timing and hand usage will need to drastically improve if he's to become an asset against the pass. It's the one area he never showed much signs of growth last year, as he generated just five pressures with a win rate of 1.8%.
His emergence in this area would boost the Bengals' defense tremendously. Not only would it give them another reliable player in the rotation, it would allow Hill to take breathers on third down, keeping him with fresher legs throughout the season.
Second-year leaps are normal for any position, and a bump in production and consistency is a reasonable expectation for the former third-round pick. Carter getting things right from a mental standpoint will help him even more than added muscle.
Bengals veteran receives overdue respect from major outlet
It’s about time.
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