Defensive back Caelen Carson is a Waldorf, Md., native and has blossomed into a prospect in this year’s NFL Draft.
Carson was a first-team All-Southern Maryland pick and named a Southern Maryland Athletic Conference all-star selection in 2019 while at North Point High School. He played both offense and defense, starring as a wide receiver and cornerback.
Carson’s athleticism carried over to the court and the track. He lettered in both sports, which helped bring him to where he is now.
How Tall Is Caelen Carson?
Carson measured 5’11 7/8″ at the NFL Combine. His height is in the 57th percentile, per MockDraftable. A player with comparable height is fellow 2024 draft prospect Kool-Aid McKinstry — a projected first-round selection — who measured at 5’11 1/2″.
How Much Does Carson Weigh?
Carson (like McKinstry) weighed in at 199 pounds at the Combine, which is in the 76th percentile of cornerbacks.
How Old Is Carson?
Carson was born on March 3, 2002, and is 22 years old. Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote that the average prospect is 23.24 years old in this year’s draft, making Carson a bit younger.
According to Nora Princiotti of The Ringer, the average age of a first-round selection fell from 22.6 to 21.7 years between 2000 and 2018.
What School Did Carson Go To?
Carson attended Wake Forest. Per Pro Football Reference, the Demon Deacons football program has produced 140 pro players, with 152 players having been drafted.
Statistically, the best player to come from Wake Forest was the late quarterback Norm Snead. He was drafted with the second overall pick of the 1961 NFL Draft by Washington. Snead played in four Pro Bowls, notching 30,797 passing yards, 196 touchdown passes, 257 interceptions, and 521 rushing yards from 1961-1976.
MORE: Top CBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
In addition to playing for Washington, Snead played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers.
Revisiting Carson’s College Career
Carson began his collegiate career at Wake Forest in 2020. He played eight games, making 25 tackles (19 solo), with an interception, four pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
In 2021, he made 31 tackles (26 solo), with a half tackle for loss, two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a fumble recovery in nine games.
In his third season, Carson had 22 tackles (18 solo), a tackle for loss, and seven pass deflections in eight games.
Carson capped off his career with a career-high in games played (11), with 42 tackles (29 solo), a tackle for loss, eight pass deflections, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.
Carson’s Potential in the NFL
Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings believes Carson to be one of the more “underrated” defensive back prospects in this year’s draft.
“Carson is one of the most proficient press-man CBs in the 2024 NFL Draft, successively matching WRs with technique and athleticism, then gathering and suffocating them with his biting competitive edge and proactive physicality.
“Carson can use two-handed jams to gather and squeeze WRs against the sideline or use well-timed punches to stall their momentum and give himself leverage in one-on-one situations. He can recover and close ground with his explosiveness, and at the catch point, he’s an authoritative playmaker with great instincts.
“Zone coverage is an area where Carson can improve his consistency, particularly when passing off overlapping routes and redirecting back infield. In support, while he is tenacious and aggressive, his form can improve at times as well — and over-aggression can bite him in both phases.”
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Caelen Carson
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