Michael Carter

Carter split the backfield workload at North Carolina almost equally with Javonte Williams last year and gained more yards, but it was the bigger, more physical Williams who got popped early in the second round by the Broncos, while Carter landed with the Jets in the fourth. That might not be the worst thing for his chances of making a splash as a rookie, though. While Williams has Melvin Gordon to compete with for touches, Carter has only Tevin Coleman, La'Mical Perine and Ty Johnson standing between himself and a regular role. Carter's short stature and natural pass-catching skills, as well as his solid showing as a pass protector, mark him as a receiving back in the NFL, but he also has the potential to become more than that. In college, he flashed some power and a willingness to lower his shoulder, though he mostly relied on elusiveness and nimble feet in traffic to create open space. If there's a template for Carter to follow and reach his ceiling, it's Austin Ekeler, though it took Ekeler a couple years to prove he could handle a lead role to the Chargers' satisfaction (and push Gordon aside in the process). Given the state of the Jets' backfield, they may be willing to throw Carter into the fire a little more quickly if he looks the part.