2012 East-West Shrine Game: TCU Linebacker Tank Carder Getting Mixed Reviews

TCU Horned Frogs linebacker Tank Carder has had mixed reviews in the 2012 East-West Shrine game practices. These practices are much more important than the actual game and was impressive early in the week. Here is what ESPN said about Carder:

Tank Carder showed some good awareness and instinct dropping into coverage. That showed up during the two-minute drill when Carder did a nice job getting to his drop, reading a crossing route and stepping in front of a pass from Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish. We are still concerned about his point-of-attack skills and overall range, though, so he remains in the late rounds.

Here is what Walter Football is saying about Carder:

A defensive prospect who stood out was TCU linebacker Tank Carder. In the nine-on-nine scrimmage, he started strong by popping the back for a good tackle near the line of scrimmage. A play later, Carder fired through the line to bust a run at the line for a slight tackle for a loss. He did a quality job of taking on blocks and shedding offensive linemen. Carder came close to an interception on the team scrimmage, but the ball flew just past his hands. A tough linebacker, the 6-foot- 2, 236-pounder plays bigger than his listed measurements. Carder could surprise some observers on Draft Day and in the NFL.

However, ESPN somewhat soured on Carder later in the week:

Carder didn't carry a lot of momentum into Shrine week and came in with a Day 3 grade, but some believed he was overlooked and would overcome his limitations here the same way he did at TCU. However, against a higher level of competition and in a scheme that is not designed to help him, Carder has proven to be a Day 3 prospect who will have to earn a roster spot with contributions on special teams.

He is just not a very good athlete. Carder lacks strength at the point of attack and has struggled to take on and get off blocks, and he simply gets washed out of plays far too easily. He has too often been caught up in trash on his way to the play, and that will be a concern for teams evaluating his potential to be a regular contributor on defense.

A few things about these latest comments, first off they say he did not do well due to the scheme. Any player not put in the proper scheme will have issues. I am not sure what scheme he was in, but a team drafting Carder would not do so if he struggled in a particular defensive scheme that the team runs. So, that is a bit misleading on Carder's talent.

Carder also is writing a draft diary for Walter Football and his first entry is up.

The East-West Shrine Game is this Saturday with a 4 p.m. ET kickoff and will be on the NFL Network.