Late Round Gold: Tank Carder.

by D. Reese on Jan 22, 2012 8:00 PM CST in 2012 NFL Draft

It's that time again. For those who may be unfamiliar, LRG is a segment I do on players who may not be getting a lot of love from draft experts, but who I still think could be solid contributors nonetheless. This year I'll be starting with one of my favorite players in college football, Tank Carder, an outside linebacker from TCU.

It's about time we moved on from Will Witherspoon.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with him, he seems like a good guy and I've got no huge complaints with his performance, but the team is getting younger, that's simply the way things are right now. The strongside and middle linebacker positions have been filled already by two stellar rookies, now it's time to find a young weakside backer to round out the unit. I have serious doubts that linebacker will be a position the Titans look at early in the draft due to other needs, so this pick also actually makes a bit of sense. What's more is that this is a very deep class for linebackers, Carder's stock should slip because of this which makes him a perfect candidate for this years' steal of the draft.

Basically, the main appeal from Carder is just that he's an absolutely gamer, much like Colin McCarthy before him. By pure tackling standards, I can't see many out there who can challenge him. He's an excellent form tackler, probably even better than McCarthy. If I had to find a guy to compare him to right now, I'd say he's a lot like Mason Foster who was picked in the third round out of Washington by Tampa Bay last year.

What I really love, aside from the solid tackling of course, is the sense you get that Carder just always seems to be around the ball. Some players just have a sixth sense for making plays like that and he's definitely one of them. From what I've read, he also seems to be a very cerebral player who is routinely communicating with TCU's secondary and making pre-snap reads and adjustments. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in tenacity and effort. While that's something that I can certainly appreciate, his size and strength deficiencies are concerning. We went through a similar experiment with Rennie Curran a couple of years ago and to be frank it was highly disappointing, I don't want another wasted draft pick. It's all very nice that he plays with a lot of intensity, but even the most intense little guys still seem to get pushed around in the NFL. For every Derrick Brooks, you have five or ten other guys who never make it because they're just not big enough. Here's hoping that Carder overcomes the odds, I'll be rooting for him wherever he goes.

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if only mike maycock and the draft gurus had your eye for talent.

by tdtommyd on Jan 22, 2012 8:16 PM CST reply actions

The dudes a stud. I love watching him play.

I thought he was going to come out last year. I hope we can get him.

World Series Champions 2011. Unbelievable. Tony LaRussa, you will be missed.

by cj2k on Jan 22, 2012 9:57 PM CST reply actions

he balled out at the Shrine game yesterday

would be a good pickup in the 3rd-4th round range

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by nolesbroncos3456 on Jan 22, 2012 10:51 PM CST reply actions

I've had my eyes set on Carder and Irvin in the middle rounds for awhile now.

Carder the preferred option, but I like Irvin’s upside quite a bit.

by FYNBYAC on Jan 22, 2012 11:32 PM CST reply actions

This is a kid that I would give a first for.

Media - "How does it feel to be that fast?"
CJ - "It feel real good."

by nathangouge on Jan 22, 2012 11:41 PM CST via mobile reply actions

thank God you aren't the Titans' GM

by tdtommyd on Jan 23, 2012 8:02 AM CST up reply actions

+1

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run FOR Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Jan 23, 2012 10:08 AM CST up reply actions

His description sounds like a lot like McCarthy.

I like it.

"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"

by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 22, 2012 11:42 PM CST reply actions

by gramsey712 on Jan 23, 2012 9:35 AM CST reply actions

Chicago Bears: Tank Carder, LB, TCU
Tank Carder could serve as an upgrade over Nick Roach and a long-term replacement for Brian Urlacher. Carder is coming off a down year, but was playing hurt the whole time.

"There are a lot of plays to be made out there playing middle linebacker. I try to make all of them." by Colin McCarthy

by Titanluv318 on Jan 23, 2012 9:44 AM CST reply actions