Very Quietly, a Vikings Pass Rusher Has Dropped Down the Depth Chart
Upside and promise. For a little while, that was the name of the game for Vikings pass rusher Andre Carter II.
The Army alumnus is incredibly long, even by NFL edge rusher standards. Standing at 6’6″ and weighing 256 pounds, Carter has the perfect build for the position, especially since he has incredibly long arms. The 2024 season, though, has functioned as a bit of a speed bump in his NFL career insofar as he has quietly slid down Minnesota’s depth chart. When there’s been a need for a practice squad add, Carter hasn’t been the one who has been elevated.
Vikings Pass Rusher Andre Carter II and the Depth Chart
Coming into the season, there was some belief that Carter could snag a roster spot.
After all, the sophomore pass rusher did some good things in the preseason, making some plays behind the line of scrimmage along the way. Keep an eye on #55 in the clip below:
Listen to what O’Connell had to say. “How about Andre Carter right there?” O’Connell asks rhetorically. He goes on: “I mean Andre’s been showing up with his length, showing up with [his] really good pass rush repertoire off the edge.”
So, to be sure, Minnesota’s head coach is a fan of the young defender.
On defense, coaches want players who are long and strong primarily at two positions: corner and edge rusher. The thinking at edge rusher is that being tall and having long arms will better equip the defender to keep an offensive tackle’s mitts off of one’s chest while also allowing for being more disruptive in the backfield, reaching out for the sack or TFL with greater ability.
Bruce Feldman publishes a popular column that he refers to as a “Freaks List,” an alliterative title that’s meant to highlight college football’s insanely-gifted athletes. Consider what he had to say about Mr. Carter, who came in at 13th in 2022:
What a gem Army found at Connecticut’s Cheshire Academy in Carter, at the time a two-star tight end prospect. Now a 6-7, 260-pound senior with a 6-10 wingspan, Carter piled up 18.5 TFLs, 15.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2021. Carter’s length is only more amazing when factoring in that he also blazed a 4.2 in his pro agility test this offseason. Army coaches say that when Carter’s doing change of direction work in the summer, he finishes in the top three with their skill guys. They also say his reaction time and processing speed is unmatched.
As a rookie, Andre Carter made the final roster. He participated in a dozen games, soaking up 68 snaps for Brian Flores and then 142 snaps on special teams as the EDGE5. The sophomore couldn’t crack the current lineup, though, largely due to the additions of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, and Jihad Ward.
Notably, Minnesota hasn’t turned to Carter when there has been a need for an extra pass rusher. Instead, Bo Richter — tremendous name — has been the one who has been elevated, suggesting that even on the practice squad Carter has slid down the depth chart a bit, perhaps occupying the EDGE7 job.
Richter has even earned a bit of on-field work. The Air Force alumnus has picked up 13 defensive snaps alongside 36 special teams snaps. Quite possibly, Richter is the better option for specials, explaining the call-up. Even still, it’s notable that someone who was so highly regarded last year has taken a bit of a backseat in 2024.
Getting Andre Carter onto the roster wasn’t necessarily easy. The UDFA picked up $340,000 in guarantees on his deal, a whopping amount for someone who slipped out of the draft. The suggestion is that the young defender had some leverage due to there being several teams interested in his services.
The final chapter hasn’t been written on Carter’s NFL career. Only 24, Carter has the potential to develop into a long-term EDGE3/4 in Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.
