Browns Draft Prospect: Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter

Next in our Cleveland Draft series, we focus on another D-tackle. Dewayne Carter, a 6’3, 305-pound defensive tackle, helped lead the Duke Blue Devils to two consecutive bowl victories during his time with the program. Carter was a three-star recruit out of Pickerington, Ohio, the 39th-ranked defensive tackle in the Nation and the 18th-ranked prospect in Ohio, according to 247Sports. Carter committed to Duke in the summer of 2018. 

Once at Duke, Carter saw limited action during his freshman season, playing just 28 snaps through three games and recording just one tackle. The Blue Devils finished the 2019 regular season 5-7 and were eliminated from bowl eligibility. 

In 2020, he appeared in all 11 games and totaled 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack. The Blue Devils finished the regular season 2-9 and were again eliminated from bowl eligibility. Carter was awarded Duke’s Ace Parker Award for his efforts on and off the field. 

He appeared in all 12 games in 2021, totaling 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three passes defended, and four forced fumbles. Duke finished the regular season 3-9 and was again eliminated from bowl eligibility. Carter was named third-team All-ACC and was awarded Duke’s Mike McGee Award and the Steve Brooks Captain Award. 

In 2022, Carter appeared in 13 games, racking up 36 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four passes defended, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The Blue Devils finished the 2022 season 8-4 and were elected to face off against the UCF Knights in the Military Bowl. Carter totaled one tackle and two passes defended in the Blue Devils 30-13 victory over the Knights. He was named second-team All-ACC, third-team All-America (College Football Network), Duke’s Defensive Player of the Year, and was awarded the Steve Brooks Captain Award. 

Carter appeared in 13 games in 2023, totaling 41 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one sack, four passes defended, one fumble recovery, and one blocked field goal. Duke finished the 2023 regular season 7-5 and was elected to face off against the Troy Trojans in the Birmingham Bowl. He racked up two tackles and a pass breakup in the Blue Devils 17-10 victory over the Trojans. Carter was named first-team All-ACC for his efforts on the field in 2023. In late December, Carter took to social media to announce he would be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Carter’s noted strengths according to Bleacher Report: 

• Good size and frame with decent arm length.
• Has some quickness and burst off the line of scrimmage.
• Has pop in his hands and the upper-body strength to win at the point of attack and stand up linemen when he picks his hand up from the ground.
• Can shed blocks when he lands his hands.
• Solid bull-rusher if he keeps his pads down and hands tight and inside on the blocker.

Carter’s noted weaknesses: 

• Often winds up for his punch and is wide with his hand placement when taking on blocks, exposing his chest.
• Has a habit of standing up out of his stance and playing with a narrow base.
• Subpar lateral movement skills, which leads to him getting reached against outside zone and missing tackles/sacks against mobile quarterbacks.
• Inaccurate with his hands when working pass-rush moves. Often misses or is late and isn't good at playing the offensive lineman's hands.
• Significant dip in TFL and sacks this past season.

DeWayne Carter’s Combine Results:

Height: 6’3

Weight: 305 pounds

40-Time: 4.99 seconds

10-Yard Split: 1.72 seconds

Vertical: 32”

Broad Jump: 9’ 1”

3-Cone: 7.95 seconds

Shuttle: 4.75 seconds

DeWayne Carter compared to other 2024 prospects: 

DeWayne Carter - Duke Blue Devils - 6’3 - 305 lbs 

• 52 Games
• 126 Total Tackles (48 Solo - 78 Assisted - 25 For Loss)
• 12 Sacks
• 11 Passes Defended
• 7 Forced Fumbles
• 4 Fumbles Recovered

T’vondre Sweat - Texas Longhorns - 6’4 - 362 lbs 

• 62 Games
• 128 Total Tackles (47 Solo - 81 Assisted - 17.5 For Loss) 
• 5 Sacks
• 14 Passes Defended 
• 1 Forced Fumble
• 1 Fumble Recovery 

Kris Jenkins - Michigan Wolverines - 6’3 - 305 lbs

• 44 Games 
• 112 Total Tackles ( 54 Solo - 58 Assisted - 8 For Loss)
• 4 Sacks 
•  1 Interception 
• 1 Fumble Recovery 

Jer’zhan Newton - Illinois Fighting Illini - 6’2 - 295 lbs

• 44 Games 
• 187 Total Tackles (80 Solo - 107 Assisted - 27.5 For Loss)
• 18 Sacks 
• 5 Passes Defended 
• 2 Forced Fumbles 
• 3 Fumble Recoveries

Leonard Taylor III - Miami Hurricanes - 6’3 - 305 lbs

• 28 Games 
• 64 Total Tackles (25 Solo - 39 Assisted - 22.5 For Loss)
• 6 Sacks 
• 1 Interception 
• 1 Pass Defended

Byron Murphy II - Texas Longhorns - 6’1 - 307 lbs

• 34 Games 
• 70 Total Tackles (32 Solo - 38 Assisted - 15 For Loss)
• 8 Sacks

Brandon Dorlus - Oregon Ducks - 6’3 - 290 lbs

• 57 Games 
• 112 Total Tackles (58 Solo - 48 Assisted - 27 For Loss) 
• 12 Sacks
• 13 Passes Defended 
• 1 Fumble Recovery 

While Carter’s lateral movement and ability to beat certain blocks are areas of concern, his size, strength, and quickness off the line make him a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns defense.   

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