Going into Week 17 of the NFL season, ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters picked the rookie of the year for each team in the league.
Former Clemson star linebacker Barrett Carter was pegged as the rookie of the year for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Here’s what Ben Baby, ESPN’s NFL Nation team reporter for the Bengals, wrote about Carter, who is having an impressive rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 119 overall pick:
There aren’t a ton of great options to choose from given Cincinnati’s season, but Carter has done an admirable job in trying circumstances. After five games, he was made the full-time starter at middle linebacker. That role gave him major defensive responsibilities, from relaying the playcalls to aligning the front of the defense. It was an unanticipated workload for the fourth-round pick, but he has learned on the job and gained experience that should be helpful for the Bengals in 2026.
A two-time All-American at Clemson, Carter has tallied 98 total tackles (one for loss), three passes defended and an interception in 15 games (10 starts) for the Bengals. He came up with his first career interception this past Sunday during Cincinnati’s 45-21 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Though Carter didn’t start his first game until Week 6, he is still tied for second on the team in total tackles and has recorded double-digit tackles in four games. He had as many as 16 tackles against the New England Patriots in Week 12. According to the Bengals’ official website, it marked the second most tackles by a Bengals rookie since 1994, and his 16 tackles tied for the fourth most by any Bengal since 1994.
During his four-year career at Clemson from 2021-24, Carter appeared in 52 games, with 40 of those being starts. He totaled 254 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, 24 pass breakups, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. As a senior in 2024, he was a Butkus Award finalist, which is handed out annually to the nation’s best linebacker, and a first-team All-ACC selection.
Carter and the Bengals return to action this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
–Photo courtesy of Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
