'He’s a tough dude.' Bills draft Duke DT with strong football family bloodlines
ORCHARD PARK - The Buffalo Bills are just going right down the list of their biggest needs and are picking them off one-by-one.
In the third round, with the 95th pick which they acquired from the Chiefs in the Thursday night trade, the Bills selected Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
The 6-foot-2, 304-pounder will instantly get the chance to become a rotational depth player along with free agent veteran signings Austin Johnson and Deshawn Williams, and he’s excited for the opportunity.
“Yeah, so, it was funny like … I did almost have kind of a feeling it was going to be Buffalo,” Carter said. “I think from the jump, the stuff they tell you not to read, the articles, the projections and everything else, I read it all every single day and it was consistently Buffalo.”
Carter was the first three-year captain in program history, and he started every game for Duke in 2023, finishing with 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and four pass breakups. He had 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a junior.
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Across his career, he appeared in 52 games and it was that experience, plus his obvious intelligence and leadership, that helped lead the Bills to him.
“He’s one of those guys, he’s going to be plug and play in my mind,” general manage Brandon Beane said. “He’s smart, he’s a tough dude. Just a leader, captain, DNA, intangibles. He’s going to make the guys around him better. He has the intelligence factor. He’s really excited about what he’s going to bring.”
Carter’s father, DeWayne Sr., played college football at Ohio State in the early 1990s, and he had an uncle, Raymond Carter, who played at Notre Dame so the family bloodlines are strong. “It was never pushed on me,” Carter said of football.
In his draft guide, Dane Brugler of the Athletic wrote, “Overall, Carter doesn’t have a true difference-making trait on the field, but he is smart, strong and very active. He might never be a full-time starter, but he will give a team value as a rotational three-technique or five-technique.”
Dewayne Carter’s path to the #NFLDraft @Dewaynecarter0 pic.twitter.com/2SZoR6wsIG
— G.O.A.T. Farm Sports (@GOATfarmmedia) April 23, 2024
DeWayne Carter scouting report
NFL.com lists Carter as a prospect likely to be a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.” Carter has the speed and savvy to fill gaps as a run defender and get upfield as a pass rusher. As a three-time captain, Carter’s leadership will also be a welcome addition in the locker room.
DeWayne Carter height, weight
Bishop, who is from Pickerington, Ohio, and went to Pickerington Central High, is 6 feet 2 and 302 pounds.
DeWayne Carter college stats
The first three-year captain in program history, Carter started every game for Duke this season, finishing with 41 tackles, 3 ½ tackles and four pass breakups. He had 11 tackles for loss and 5 ½ sacks as a junior.
DeWayne Carter highlights
Carter won the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award as the conference’s top scholar-athlete and was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is considered the academic Heisman. He was the leader for a resurgent Duke defense in the last three seasons.
— DeWayne Carter (@Dewaynecarter0) March 15, 2024
DeWayne Carter NFL combine results
Carter’s arms measure at 33 inches and his hands measure at 10 ¼ inches. At the NFL Combine, Carter ran the 40-yard dash in 4.99 seconds and had a vertical jump of 32 inches.
Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out every other Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills take Duke's DeWayne Carter in Round 3: NFL draft profile