Is Ja’Tyre Carter the Bears’ biggest sleeper of the 2022 NFL Draft?

The best NFL draft classes are the ones that produce late-round starters who, on draft weekend, no one saw coming. In other words, sleepers. And for the Chicago Bears’ 2022 NFL draft class, the list of potential sleepers who can emerge as first-teamers this fall is long.

The most logical place to look for that guy for the Bears this year is the offensive line, where four picks were used on day three and a starting job remains at right guard. There’s a chance — a pretty god one — that one of these rookies will emerge as that starter, and if there’s one name to circle as a sleeper for that gig, it’s seventh-round pick, Ja’Tyre Carter.

Despite starting 37 games at tackle for Southern, Ja’Tyre Carter is a versatile interior offensive line prospect who worked as both center and guard at the 2022 Senior Bowl. With veteran center Lucas Patrick and sixth-round pick Doug Kramer (Illinois) on the roster, it’s likely Carter will focus on playing guard. And that’s a good thing for both him and the Bears.

Ja’Tyre Carter looks the part despite small-school status

Carter is Southern University’s first draft pick in 18 years who, according to Bears scout Breck Ackley, checks all the boxes.

“At that level, you want to see a guy stand out,” Ackley said. “The first thing you notice is he walks in the room to meet you and he looks the part. That’s kind of step one. [He’s] well put together, looks like an NFL lineman. And just seeing him move. You go to practice and see him move live, that’s the next check box. Then obviously, you turn on the film after that and he’s holding his own. His best game was Troy, so I think that speaks volume. When you’re a guy at that level and they play a high competition, if they can play their best, that usually says a lot. And he checked all of those boxes, so that’s kind of what stood out.”

Carter answered the level of competition questions with his strong Senior Bowl performance, too.

‘I went out there and answered a bunch of questions scouts, coaches, and general managers had on me,” Carter told The Draft Network before the 2022 NFL Draft. “I know the league wanted to see if I could handle going against top competition. I held my own. I was very competitive. I had a bunch of fun out there, I soaked up the moment, but I was very competitive at the end of the day. I definitely answered a lot of questions out there. I proved that I could compete with the best of the best. I passed that test with flying colors.”

#Southern LT Ja’Tyre Carter is a mauler at the POA, showcasing the ability to climb to the second level and bury pass rushers in pass pro.

Gets into his sets quickly, really powerful initial punch and one of the better lineman in the FCS. Excited to keep tabs on him this season. pic.twitter.com/iNPgMsB3nC

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) September 28, 2021

Carter was one of the best pass-blockers in the country in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus analytics. He earned a 93.2 pass-blocking grade in 2021 and allowed only two pressures on 341 passing reps. His ridiculously efficient 2021 season wasn’t an anomaly, either. He allowed only two pressures in 2020 and scored an 86.4 grade. His productive showing in Mobile shouldn’t have been a surprise.

“I was actually on the field right off the bat, and they go right to one-on-ones,” Ackley said of Carter’s Senior Bowl practices. ‘That’s kinda the highlight for O and D line. You wanna see ‘em and right off the bat, I believe it was Oklahoma guy he lined up against, so I’m kinda back there standing by the goalpost going, ‘Here we go. Baptism by fire.’ And he gave a little ground, kinda sat on it, then when he came out of the rep he almost bought back a little bit.

‘It was almost like he, himself, realized, ‘I can hang.’ After that, every other rep, he battled and held his own. There’s gonna be some losses, right. I mean everybody there goes up and down, but he just kept showing up and held his own. That’s probably what stood out, I was excited to see him battle and kind of realize he could play at that level.”