Caelen Carson has had a bit of an up and down rookie season.
The Dallas Cowboys were in the market for cornerback help once the NFL draft rolled around in April. They didn’t snag one until Day 3 when they took Caelen Carson out of Wake Forest in the fifth round. Standing 6’0″ and weighing 195 pounds, Carson came into the NFL as a physical corner that disrupted routes off the line and contested catches. So, the Cowboys had every reason to be optimistic about what he could bring to the table.
Carson’s professional career got off the a good start in the season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Although he gave up a touchdown, Carson tallied four tackles, had two pass breakups, and allowed a completion percentage of 55.6% on nine targets. However, over the next two games, Carson began to get baptized by NFL wide receivers as he allowed a completion percentage of 83.3% over that span. Then, the worst thing happened to him that could happen to any rookie. He got injured. Carson would be inactive for the next four games due to a shoulder issue.
Once Carson got back on the field, he continued to struggle. He gave 12 receptions on 14 targets against the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. When the Cowboys took on the Houston Texans, Carson was only a special teams contributor with 11 snaps. He was inactive against the Washington Commanders, and then he was placed on injured reserve due to his lingering shoulder issue just before the Cowboys took on the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. Now, Carson will not be able to return until Week 17 versus the Eagles.
For the season, Carson has allowed quarterbacks to complete 76.7 percent of their passes, which is less than ideal. He’s gotten beat with speed, not being able to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage, and double moves have put him in a blender. Plus, on top of everything, Carson will only get to play a maximum of eight games this season after he returns from injured reserve. Struggling on the field is one thing, but to pair that with not being available every week isn’t a good situation, especially for a rookie.
Carson is a talented player. There’s no doubt about that. However, some guys transition better than others, and he’s off to a rocky start. The encouraging thing when it comes to all this is the fact that Carson is just a rookie. So, putting the death nail in his career is completely premature. With a coach like Al Harris and players like Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Jourdan Lewis around, Carson has plenty of mentorship he can turn to so that he can maximize his ability.