Hot Take Tuesday: Jackson Carman will be Drafted Much Higher than Anyone Thinks

The NFL draft is driven by a select few positions every year. One of those is offensive tackle. The supply of high-quality tackles has never met the demand. There are three tackles at the top of the draft this year: Penei Sewell, Christian Darrisaw and Rashawn Slater.

All three will most likely go off the board in the first 20 picks. There are many teams in the back half of the first round and some looking to trade back into the first round that want one of the premier tackles. After the top three, there is a large group that could hear their name called in the first 50 picks. One of those is Clemson's Jackson Carman, who is a top-32 talent and should be selected earlier than people expect.

The media and fans of the draft are always looking to find the next sleeper player that not many people know much about. That often leads to some of the most consistent names being overlooked at this point in the process. Carman is a perfect example of that. He was a five-star recruit from Ohio who even in limited action as a freshman, easily showed that he was different. He rarely gave up pressures and wasn’t fazed by the jump in level.

His 2020 tape was no different. Carman was even better in the run game and continued to show that he could play left tackle at the next level. Power rushers had zero success against Carman, as his core strength and overall size makes it difficult to move him. Carman has good enough bend, helping him against speed rushers. His foot quickness isn’t phenomenal, but he consistently gets the job done. People fall for guys who look pretty in pass protection, but few get the job done better than Carman, which is the most important part.

Players like Jalen Mayfield, Liam Eichenberg, Dillon Radunz and Alex Leatherwood are all talked about in the same tier as him, but Carman’s tape is a lot better than all of them. He checks the experience box, has the versatility to play guard or tackle and still has room to grow, which will be scary for NFL defensive ends. He recently had back surgery, but he’ll be good to go for his personal Pro Day on April 15. The media is sleeping on Carman. Once he shows he is healthy, Carman will start moving up draft boards. How high does he move up? As noted, Carman is a top-32 talent, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him go in the back half of the first round or early in the second. He is that talented and will be a difference-maker early in his career. 

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