When the Dallas Cowboys selected Caelen Carson with the 174th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, it was hailed as a certified steal by many draft evaluators. Carson’s 6-foot, 195-pound frame and 76-inch wingspan made him an ideal cornerback prospect in the NFL. Rated as CB13 on Dane Brugler’s draft guide, he garnered a grade somewhere between the third and fourth round in last year’s draft.
With 36 games of experience under his belt and significant snaps in both man and zone coverages, Carson brought with him top-three corner capabilities in just about any NFL system. Oddly enough, the Wake Forest product came to Dallas with a significant degree of hype rather abnormal for a fifth-round pick. Overall, the Cowboys 2025 draft class addressed needs without offering much in the razzle dazzle department. Being just short of boring as a whole, the situation made this particular CB prospect a popular selection within the fanbase.
The hype eventually came to an end when injuries and developmental hiccups made Carson’s rookie season a season to forget. Comfort should be found in the fact hiccups are nothing new for rookie prospects. The leap from college to the pros is significant and not all players successfully clear that hurdle on their first attempt.
Fans shouldn’t forget Carson has all the tools to make him successful. He has the versatility to play multiple positions at CB and to do so in a variety of schemes. His ability to do it all while locking down opposing receivers is what ultimately led to Carson’s nickname in college, “Seat Belt.”
“It was my freshman year in college, “Carson said of his nickname. “I started as a true freshman, my teammate and roommate told me, ‘Damn, you’re always locking somebody up. You’re like a seat belt.’”
Carson doesn’t have the same elite traits as other Cowboys’ CBs such as Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam and Shavel Revel bring to the table, but then again, neither does fellow fifth rounder DaRon Bland and all he’s done is set NFL records enroute to an All-Pro season.
There should be no shortage of opportunities for Carson early this season. Diggs and Revel are still recovering from injury, and Carson brings inside-outside versatility to the mix. If Carson can stay healthy over the summer and build on his confidence throughout training camp, there’s no reason he can’t be in the competition at one of the three top CB spots early in 2025.
An NFL season is a long journey, so it’s good to know the Cowboys have a seat belt around to get them to the finish line safely.
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