FRISCO, TEXAS — Eight Dallas Cowboys draft picks are at the very beginning of their NFL careers as they head to The Star this weekend to officially sign their rookie contracts and participate in rookie minicamp.
Coming in as a rookie brings a lot of excitement and high expectations. Especially with the Cowboys' current rookie class, immediate contributions from most of their draft picks will be needed.
in coach's corner, we reached out to each of the draft candidates' college position coaches to learn more about their development on and off the field in college, their fit in Dallas, how they matched up with their college years, and what they need to work on. I looked into it in detail. Before you even touch an NFL field.
Next up is Wake Forest cornerback Kaelen Carson. His Wake Forest cornerbacks coach, Chip, who coached Carson in his final season with the Deacons, spoke to West about these topics.
Q: Where do you think he saw the most growth on the field from the beginning of last season to the end of last year? How did that help you guys?
A: I think he was very physical on the perimeter and supported the run. He was a solid tackler. In terms of coverage, I thought he did a really, really good job with his hands at the line of scrimmage. He wasn't afraid to put his hands on you. I thought his off-man coverage skills improved a lot.
Q: His physicality definitely stands out, but is it the mentality he brings to the field that helps those around him?
A: Of course. Those kinds of things become contagious when you're physically active on the borderline. I think he's done a really good job physically this year offensively. I thought he proved to be a very willing tackler. He wasn't afraid to get off the block to make plays.
Q: What do you think his personality and mentality is like off the field?
A: In my opinion, Kaelen is a really good young man. After all, he's not a very loud person. I'm not saying he's shy, but at the end of the day, I think he's a gentle guy, so it was fun to coach him.
Q: Did he do any work for you guys inside the nickel or was it mostly outside or on the perimeter?
A: He played nickel. He started at corner, but I think he played quite a bit in nickel at times throughout the season, I'd say in a span of three or four games. He's pretty versatile and did a good job when we asked him to play the nickel position.
Q: So he has a very good balance between technique and physicality and do you think he can combine the two?
A: Of course. I think they go hand in hand and he did a really good job with that.
Q: What do you think he still needs to work on as he jumps into the NFL?
A: I always thought Karlen had a very, very good soccer IQ. Continue to improve your football IQ and continue to understand the concepts that they're going to run in Dallas and understand the offensive concepts as well. I think he's doing a good job, but you know, we can do better.
