Carter Meadows

Physical Profile

At 6-6.25 and roughly 225 pounds, Meadows owns a rare frame for the edge position — exceptional wingspan, long strides, and the loose hips of a converted hooper. His reach alone disrupts blocking angles, and his stride length lets him cover the arc in fewer steps than most tackles can mirror. The frame comfortably projects to 255-265 pounds without sacrificing the flexibility that makes him special; he's currently more airfoil than anchor, so the mass will need to come in a college strength program.

Play Style

Meadows is a length-and-tempo edge who wins the corner with stride length and ankle flexion, running the arc flat and finishing right into the quarterback's lap. On film he flashes the inside-outside wiggle to threaten both shoulders of a tackle, and his effort shows up in pursuit and on re-rushes. He's more finesse than power right now — his wins come from athleticism and reach rather than a developed bull rush — but he plays with the tempo and closing burst that can't be coached.

Strengths

• Elite length and bend — 247Sports' Andrew Ivins comps him to Brian Burns, a 'spider-like pass rusher' whose reach, bend and tempo alone give offensive tackles fits on the arc
• Top-flight athleticism from a basketball background — adequate get-off paired with slippery inside-outside agility lets him win rushes before technique even enters the equation
• Steep development trajectory — made major strides between his junior and senior seasons at Gonzaga, and his motor and effort project him as an early-down contributor and situational interior rusher on passing downs

Areas to Improve

• Technical refinement — as a former basketball-focused athlete he's still assembling a true pass-rush toolbox (hand usage, counters, rush plans); his pressure rate at the next level will be dictated by how fast the technique catches up to the traits
• Functional mass and play strength — at ~225 pounds he needs 30+ pounds to hold the point of attack against Big Ten run schemes and convert speed to power consistently

College Projection

Signed with Michigan, where he'll develop under edge coach Lou Esposito. Expect a Year 1 role as a designated pass rusher — his length and effort offer immediate value on obvious passing downs, including interior alignments in NASCAR packages — with a redshirt-or-rotational season while he adds mass. By Year 2-3 he projects as a starting edge and one of the featured pieces of Michigan's front, the profile the program has repeatedly turned into early-round defensive linemen.

NFL Outlook

Legitimate first-round trajectory. The Brian Burns comparison is instructive: NFL teams pay a premium for edges with this combination of length, bend and closing speed, and Meadows' composite (0.9963, No. 6 nationally) puts him in a historical band where the majority of prospects become Day 1-2 picks. If the technical development matches the physical tools over three seasons, he profiles as a top-20 pick; the floor is a traits-based Day 2 selection.

Best Fit

An aggressive, attacking front that lets him pin his ears back and rush the arc — exactly what Michigan runs. He's best deployed as a wide-9 or 5-technique in an even front with freedom to stunt and loop inside on passing downs, in a program with a proven strength staff to build his frame and a defensive line room with NFL-caliber development history.