News: BTB: Cowboys seventh-round pick Jordan Carrell looking to carve out a role on defensive line

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The Dallas Cowboys spent their final selection of April’s draft on Colorado defensive tackle Jordan Carrell.

The Dallas Cowboys attempted to complete two vital objectives during the 2017 NFL Draft:

1. Improve the defense.
2. Add passing game weapons for Dak Prescott.

By selecting Michigan’s Taco Charlton in the first-round of the draft, Dallas hopes that they have found their pass rusher for the foreseeable future. Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Xavier Woods are expected to showcase their versatility and play all over the secondary for Rod Marinelli’s defense during the upcoming season. Marquez White has the opportunity to battle for a rotation spot in the secondary. Marinelli hopes he found a gem in the seventh round with the selection of Florida defensive tackle Joey Ivie.

As for objective number two, the Dallas Cowboys believe they added two wide receivers with specific skill-sets. The Cowboys selected Ryan Switzer, the dangerous and electrifying punt returner out of North Carolina. Switzer should have the opportunity to see snaps in the slot. Dallas then took a chance on Ohio State receiver Noah Brown. Brown, a raw prospect that suffered a leg injury before his sophomore season, displays the willingness to both go up for the football and lay a key block. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller believes the former Buckeye “ may have the highest ceiling of any wide receiver in this class graded as a mid- to late-draft pick”.

With the team’s last selection of April’s draft, the Dallas Cowboys spent the 246th pick of the draft on Colorado defensive lineman Jordan Carrell.

Carrell, a former JUCO product, spent his final two collegiate seasons in Boulder with the Colorado Buffaloes. He started every game for the Buffs during his two-year stint with the team, and he was named an Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 performer by the conference’s coaches last season.

Carrell spent his first two seasons of his collegiate career at California’s American River Community College. During his time in Sacramento, Carrell starred. Carrell, per his Colorado bio, was selected as a first-team All-American as a sophomore at American River.

JUNIOR COLLEGE—He earned first-team All-America, ACCFCA All-American and All-California Region I honors as a sophomore (by the JC Athletic Bureau), one of several honors he was afforded; others included first-team All-State, first-team All-Region I and first-team All-Norcal Conference, as he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was in on 80 tackles (39 solo) as a sophomore, numbers that included 19 tackles for losses of 69 yards and eight quarterback sacks (for 48 yards). He also had 24 quarterback hurries, 12 of which were knockdowns, two passes broken up and a forced fumble. A two-year starter at ARC, he had 30 tackles as a freshman, 10 for losses with four sacks, along with four passes broken up, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a blocked field goal. Under coach Jerry Haflich, American River was 10-2 his sophomore year, finishing with a No. 10 national ranking (No. 3 in the state of California) in winning the Norcal Conference title; ARC was 8-3 his freshman year. He was a teammate of current Buff offensive lineman Sully Wiefels his freshman year in 2013 (the two went head-to-head daily in practice).
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After a brilliant sophomore season in the JUCO ranks, Carrell headed to Boulder, Colorado, to play for Mike MacIntyre and defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt.

Jordan Carrell’s stats during his career at Colorado (courtesy of sports-reference.com).

Carrell immediately saw himself inserted into Leavitt’s system. During his first season on campus, the former JUCO star started all thirteen games for the Buffaloes. He recorded a total of 43 tackles, including 29 solo, brought down 7.5 for a loss, and got to the quarterback once. Carrell even forced two fumbles and recovered one.

Colorado’s defense was one of the best units in the nation last fall. In addition to Jordan Carrell playing along the defensive line, the Buffaloes also had Cowboys’ second-round selection Chidobe Awuzie, 49ers’ third-round choice Ahkello Witherspoon, and Seahawks’ fourth-round pick Tedric Thompson roaming one of the most lethal secondaries in college football. Carrell certainly appreciated that.

During his final season in the collegiate ranks, Jordan Carrell saw an improvement in almost all of the stats categories. Carrell improved his total tackles total from 43 to 46, record seven more assisted tackles, and improved his sack total from one to five. Carrell also brought down six ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage and fell on another fumble. Carrell was a huge reason why Colorado’s defense was regarded one of the best in college football en route to a Pac-12 Championship appearance.

The former Colorado defensive lineman is listed at 6’3”, 300 pounds. Here is what NFL.com likes about Carrell:

STRENGTHS

Was durable and productive over his two seasons at Colorado. Very athletic for his size. Pad level is usually very good. Maintains a balanced, base with good width when engaging blockers. Plays with light feet and above average lateral quickness when springing down the line of scrimmage after a ball-carrier. Has closing burst to the perimeter to chase scrambling quarterbacks. Uses subtle, but strong hands to clear his frame of blocker’s punch. Has expanded tackle radius due to reactive athleticism. Able to stuff cut blocks and avoid the trash near his feet.
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Carrell showed his ability to get off blocks and get to the backfield during his time in Boulder, as he recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss and brought down the quarterback six times in two seasons.

He won’t jump off the television set or blow up the stat sheet, but Jordan Carrell has the tools to work with to develop into a solid rotational player along the defensive line. Like Joey Ivie, Carrell will be battling for a roster spot to help contribute for America’s Team next season.

*Note: stats gathered from sports-reference.com.

Cowboys 2017 First-Round Pick Taco Charlton Only Going To Get Better

Cowboys 2017 Second-Round Draft Pick Chidobe Awuzie Is The Definition Of Versatility

Cowboys’ Third-Round Pick Jourdan Lewis Gives Dallas Many Options

Cowboys Fourth-Round Pick Ryan Switzer Adds Dangerous Weapon To Dallas

Cowboys’ Sixth-Round Pick Marquez White Has Upside

Cowboys’ 2017 Sixth-Round Pick Xavier Woods Is A Diamond For Dallas

Cowboys’ 2017 Seventh-Round Selection Joey Ivie Excites Rod Marinelli

Cowboys Seventh-Round Pick Noah Brown Has Tools To Be Late-Round Gem

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