NFL Draft: Detroit Lions Trade Up, Select Alex Carter In 3rd Round
By Tony Fischer
Martin Mayhew picked up an extra fifth round pick by trading down in the opening round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He then used that pick to solidify the secondary and picked up CB Alex Carter in the third round.
The #Lions trade up to take CB Alex Carter. They brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Has good size (6-0, 196)
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) May 2, 2015
Lions gave up the 88th pick and the 143rd pick.
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) May 2, 2015
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The Lions hosted former Stanford stand-out Alex Carter for a pre-draft visit on March 11th. The Lions were most impressed by Carter’s willingness to engage the ball carrier. His Stanford pedigree also fits the profile Jim Caldwell is targeting.
From Detroitlions.com
"“You have to get guys on the ground,” Carter told detroitlions.com. “It’s good for (cornerbacks) to be good tacklers and to know a lot of positions because you might play corners, you might play nickel and you might play safety. You have to be able to adjust to everything.“Some people don’t want to hit. They don’t want to get touched. So you must have that mentality where you want to go down and hurt somebody.”"
From NFL.com
"Good size for a cornerback. Aggressive effort to redirect receivers off the line. Shows patience from press coverage and doesn’t open hips too quickly. Physical tackler willing to step downhill, shed the block and throw his body into a tackle. Quick to plant and drive on throws and tries to maul receiver at point of catch in order to disrupt. Plays with limited wasted motion. Has above-average spatial awareness in zone coverage, maintaining good position on the receiver. Adequate instincts and feel for the game. Matched up against NFL-caliber receivers during three-year stint at Stanford."
With Rashean Mathis in the twilight of his career, Carter should provide a big insurance policy for the Lions secondary in 2015.