Caelen Carson Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

School: Wake Forest

Class: Senior

Position: CB

HT: 6’0

WT: 199 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #71

Background: Caelen Carson was a top 50 recruit in the state of Maryland in the class of 2020. Carson was a 3-star cornerback from Waldorf, Maryland, where he played for North Point High School. Carson was a SMAC All-Star as well as a Southern Maryland First Team member. Carson was primarily a defensive back for North Point, but also spent time at wide receiver. Carson played both basketball and track & field in high school as well. Caelen Carson chose to play for Wake Forest over Maryland, East Carolina, and a few others.

College: Carson was one of the more relied upon defensive backs as a true freshman and continued that into the rest of his time at Wake Forest. He was the starting boundary corner for a Wake Forest team that had the most defensive success they have had in years. Caelen Carson had a wonderful 2023 season, causing his draft stock to continue to rise. He started every game for Wake Forest and led the team with 8 pass breakups.

Strengths: Carson is an athletic cornerback who can win battles of physicality as well as battles of speed or technique. He can matchup against just about any route runner, whether it is a bigger X receiver or a shifty and small slot receiver. He is a chameleon in the secondary and can do whatever is required. He is effective in both man and zone coverage due to his instincts and raw skillset. In zone coverage, he does well to recognize route concepts and get an early step on the quarterback, leading to plenty of those pass breakups. Carson plays with a high level of physicality close to the line of scrimmage. He does not allow wide receivers to stack him often and can knock them off their footing.

Weaknesses: The biggest concern that jumps off the film for Carson is the fact that, despite 8 pass breakups in 2023, he did not manage to create one turnover. His ball skills are solid enough to be able to get his hand on the ball, but he has trouble hauling in the football. He does not get his head around consistently to look in the football and his current ball production mainly comes from playing the receivers hands, a dangerous game in the NFL.

Conclusion: Caelon Carson will be a valuable addition for any team considering that he can play in any scheme and be effective. His size and athleticism translate very well to the NFL and he will be an instant impact.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Boundary CB

Best Team Fits: IND, LAC, PHI

Player Comparison: Levi Wallace

Player Grade: 79.9