Jets select offensive tackle Carter Warren in 4th round: Examining his analytic profile

In the 4th round (120th overall pick) ofthe 2023 NFL draft, the New York Jets selected Pittsburgh Offensive Tackle Carter Warren. This article is intended to provide some extra context and information about this Jets’ selection by discussing his analytical profile.

Carter Warren

Age: 24 (born January 19, 1999, so he will be 24 by opening day)

Relative Athletic Score: Due to an injury suffered this season, Carter Warren did not participate in pre-draft athletic testing; thus, no overall relative athletic score is available. In terms of size, Warren had an approximately average height and weight among offensive tackles, coming in at 6’5, 311 pounds.

Career stats through 27 games over last 3 seasons per ProFootballFocus (2022 stats in parentheses):

• 1129 pass block snaps (106)
• 7 sacks allowed (1)
• 3 QB hits allowed (0)
• 39 QB hurries allowed (3)

While PFF does not have counting stats on run blocking, we can see that Warren was a rather mediocre pass blocker during his three seasons at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Notably, he was hurt early in the 2022 season, but did appear to be off to a pretty good start through 4 games with only 3 hurries allowed.

2022 Performance per ProFootballFocus:

• Overall grade: 66.4
• Pass blocking grade: 81.5
• True pass set pass block grade: 70.3
• Run blocking grade: 60.3

While Warren was hurt in the 4th game of this season, we see that he was pretty good pass blocker but was struggling in the run game up until that point. It is also notable his true pass set blocking grade was lower than his overall pass block grade, which may reflect his pass blocking success was scheme driven, but it also may have simply been a case of a small sample size that would have later stabilized.

Summary

Warren’s performance at tackle was “okay”. He mostly succeeded in pass protection, but struggled in the run game. For me, I value run blocking a bit more than pass blocking for lineman given that schemes can cover up pass blocking more than they can run blocking. Given Warren’s older age, his struggles in the run game, and his lack of athletic testing, I am a bit lower on this pick than I am others.