It’s been a long time since Michael Carter has had the opportunity to be the focal point of a team’s run game. During his time at North Carolina, Carter has been a part of a backfield committee, most recently sharing the load with Javonte Williams.
But in this particular setup, the Tar Heels were nothing short of magnificent on the ground.
Carter showcased his explosiveness to the tune of a team-high 1,245 yards, with nine touchdowns. In the process, Carter averaged a massive 8.0 yards per carry. His counterpart Williams totaled 1,140 yards and a staggering 19 rushing touchdowns.
Just imagine the numbers had Carter had the backfield to himself.
With the NFL calling off its annual scouting combine this year, Carter has the luxury of participating in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, where a maximum 10 representatives per NFL team are allowed to attend. Throughout the week, Carter will look to catch the eye of those teams that need help in the run game, whether it’s through a committee or what he’d love to be a part of for the first time since high school -- a feature back.
“I think I’m more than ready,” Carter told reporters following Wednesday’s Senior Bowl practice. “I feel as if in college I really didn’t get to do it because I played with some great running backs, from Antonio Williams to Jordan Brown and Javonte Williams, who, of course, is a great running back -- elite running back. I feel I haven’t really had the opportunity to do it since high school, and I’m excited for the opportunity to do it in the NFL.”
The Falcons are among those teams who could use additional help at running back. This season, the Falcons ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing, averaging only 95.8 yards per game. With the fourth overall pick, the Falcons aren’t likely to take a running back in the first round without trading back. If the Falcons keep the high draft selection, the second, third and fourth rounds could become quite interesting when it comes to adding depth at the position.
As the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator, Falcons coach Arthur Smith built his unit around running back Derrick Henry and the ground game. Over the past two seasons, Henry ran for a combined 3,567 yards and 33 touchdowns. It’s obvious Smith will stress the importance of the rushing attack now that he’s coaching the Falcons.
As for how he will approach the run game with the personnel at his disposal, Smith appears to be keeping all of his options open.
“We adapted to Derrick,” Smith said. “There’s only one Derrick Henry, and he’s like having Shaquille O’Neal in his prime. You have to feed the big fella, and certainly we did that in Tennessee. Like I said, every year is different. That’s an example of playing to our strengths and there’s multiple ways to do it. If you have two guys or three guys or if you do find one. I think we have to be flexible.
“That’s something (general manager) Terry (Fontenot) and I will map out and then we’ll see what happens this spring and what pieces we had and we have currently on the roster.”
Carter’s production and game tape show a seasoned running back without a shortage of playmaking ability. Over the past two seasons, which resulted in campaigns that totaled over 1,000 yards, he displayed great vision and burst through open holes. He repeatedly ran through contact and made defenders miss with his agility. Carter, having played in a spread offense since his days playing youth football in Navarre, Florida, also is a sound receiver out of the backfield.
Yet his listed size at 5-foot-8 and 202 pounds could generate some pause from certain NFL teams. Carter laughed off one reporter’s attempted joke that he looked bigger on television before saying quietly, “What do I even say to that?”
However, there have been plenty of running backs under 5-foot-10 who found success in the NFL. Just this season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson tied for fifth in rushing with 1,070 yards, and he’s 5-foot-9.
Carter, who likely will be either a second-day or early third-day draft selection, didn’t grow up far from the Senior Bowl’s location. Navarre, Florida, is roughly an hour and a half away from Mobile, with Carter being very familiar about the all-star event. Carter said he envisioned playing in this game, confident that he was among the nation’s best as he rose the high school and college ranks of the sport.
With the NFL next, Carter said he’s ready to go to work for whichever team takes a chance on him in the draft, which begins April 29.
“Whatever they need, I feel I can do it all,” Carter said. “I’m someone who is committed to the process of doing things in the NFL and being here for the long haul. Whatever they need me to do, I can get it done.”
