Raiders sign former 3rd-round pick to bolster DT depth: Report
By Levi Dombro
The Raiders added a defensive tackle into the mix on Thursday after placing Christian Wilkins on IR, signing Zach Carter, per Aaron Wilson.
Carter was a third-round pick (95th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and put together a decent two years before being waived by the team recently.
He worked out with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, but reportedly ended up signing with Las Vegas. Carter will join a thin defensive tackle room for the Raiders that currently consists of John Jenkins, Adam Butler, Nesta Jade Silvera, and Jonah Laulu.
In 37 career games, Carter totaled 55 tackles including two for a loss and 1.0 sack. He has a forced fumble, two pass deflections and four quarterback hits on his resume as well.
Carter also put together three solid playoff performances in 2022, recording eight tackles in 66 snaps between the three contests. This includes a four-tackle and three-tackle performance against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.
The Tampa, Florida native and former Florida Gator entered the NFL at 6'4", 282 pounds, but has since added weight, now utilizing a 290-pound frame.
At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.99 40-yard dash, which is excellent speed for his size.
He has not quite tapped into his potential yet, but Raiders DL coach Rob Leonard has worked miracles before.