Carlton Martial NFL Draft Profile and Scouting Report
Carlton Martial Scouting Report: Linebacker, Troy
2023 NFL Draft Measurements
Carlton Martial 40-Yard Dash: 4.65 (estimated)
5‘9“ / 210 lbs.
Carlton Martial Draft Profile
Carlton Martial was a super productive player out of McGill-Tollen High School in Mobile, Alabama. As a junior, he helped his teams win both a football and basketball state championship. During his junior year on the football field, he managed to record 197 tackles. Of those tackles, 13 were tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He also managed an interception, which he promptly returned for a pick-6. He followed it up, his senior season, with 120 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and six sacks. Not surprisingly, Martial earned All-State, All-District, and All-City honors for both of these seasons.
Even with all this success in his last two seasons, Carlton wasn’t heavily recruited. In the end, he would walk-on at Troy State University. After redshirting his first season, he would eventually earn himself a scholarship with the team. All he would do from there is become one of the most productive players in the history of college football.
Troy State University
In 2018, he would start nine games. He would end the season leading all Sun Belt Conference freshman in tackles and tackles for loss. Carlton also ranked 2nd in sacks. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him at 90.0 overall and 92.8 for the season. That was good enough for 20th overall and 5th nationally against the run. Of the four players graded higher against the run, three were taken within the first 13 picks in that year’s NFL Draft. He would also earn Freshman All-American honors from The Athletic, USA Today, and the FWAA.
2019 saw him finish the season with 126 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and three interceptions. He was only the 12th player in FBS history (and first underclassman) to finish a season with 100+ tackles, 15+ tackles for loss, and 3+ interceptions. That season he would record double digit tackles in seven games and with four more games with 7+ tackles. He was the only player to rank in the Top 8 nationally in both tackles (10.5) and tackles for loss (1.54) per game. After the season he was named All-Sun Belt first team. PFF also gave him a second-team All-American nod, and graded him as the 35th best player in the nation.
He continued his crazy tackling pace in 2020 with 113 tackles for the season. This included a mind blowing 21 tackle performance against Coastal Carolina. He was graded as the 6th best player in the country by PFF, and was also named one of the top 3 returning linebackers for the 2021 season. Martial was also named a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the best player that was a former walk-on. Naturally, you can correctly assume that he was once again named All-Sun Belt first-team.
Junior and Senior Years
In 2021, Carlton would finish ranked 8th in the nation with 126 tackles. This was despite missing two games. Still, he finished with 24 more tackles than any other player in the Sun-Belt Conference. His 10.6 tackles per games were good enough to rank 6th nationally. Once again, he was named to the All-Sun Belt first-team, as well as the Pro Football Network All-American Team. Martial would also be named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy.
That brings up to 2022. All he did was record 135 tackles and became the all-time FBS leader in tackles. His tackles were also good enough to rank 7th nationally. Martial helped lead the Trojans to a Sun Belt Conference Championship. Once again, he racked up the post-season honors. Pro Football Network named him a first-team All-American. Action Network tapped him as a second-team All-American. Of course he was once again named to the All-Sun Belt first team, while also being named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Strengths
Not Afraid
When you see a linebacker that stands under six feet tall, you have to wonder how they play. Are they afraid of contact? Well, I got my answer with Carlton on the first snap I watched. Right at the snap he barreled full speed into an offensive lineman that looked double his size. It was clear right then and there that he had zero fear, regardless of the size of his opponents.
Nose for the Football
Call it a nose for the football, a high motor, whatever you want. Regardless of what you call it, Martial has the trait. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise for the player that has the most tackles in the history of college football. Carlton might not always be the one making the tackle, but he was always around the ball when the whistle blew the play dead.
Play Recognition
I was really impressed with how quickly Martial was able to diagnose a play. Maybe it was the amount of studying that he put in prior to the game, or maybe it was just pure instinct. Still, he had a knack for being able to quickly decipher the play type and where the ball was going. I was even more impressed with his ability to do this during a play. Multiple times I saw him directing his teammates while he was not only dropping into coverage, but while actively covering someone as well.
Comfortable in Coverage
Speaking of being in coverage, Carlton was more than comfortable defending the pass. In zone coverage, he was smooth with his drop back and finding his spot within the zone. He showed good ability to not only track his own responsibilities through his area but, as I mentioned before, helping direct his teammates as well. In man coverage, he was easily quick enough to run with tight ends and running backs.
Weaknesses
Undersized
Regardless of all the positive things that Martial can do, it’s always going to come back to his size. You can’t deny the productivity, but that was primarily against smaller, Group of Five schools. The question every NFL team is going to have to ask themselves is can that productivity transfer against NFL offensive lineman? Based on my next note (kudos to you if you haven’t skipped ahead), that might be an issue.
Struggled Getting off Blocks
This was primarily against bigger offensive lineman and tight ends. But in these situations, he tended to get bullied a good bit. His best chance was to use his quickness to shoot gaps and avoid the lineman all together. If the lineman managed to get ahold of Martial though, his play was over for the most part.
Carlton Martial Draft Stock
Even with all his production on the field, Carlton isn’t rated very highly in mock drafts. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Martial is rated as an undrafted free agent. He had a chance at the Senior Bowl to improve his stock, however he only participated in one practice. He missed the rest of the week with tightness in his back.
Final Thoughts on Carlton Martial Scouting Report
Coming into the season I was pretty high on Martial. Of course, playing at a smaller school and being a smaller player himself, I knew that the odds were stacked against him. While I understand that his size isn’t helping him out, it’s hard for me to look past how productive of a player he was during college. All the skills are there, minus the size. While I do agree with NFL Mock Draft Database’s rankings, if I were a GM it would be extremely hard for me to not take a flyer on him in the 6th or 7th round. But I’m also a sucker for small school guys, so I’m probably a little biased.
Carlton Martial Player Comparison
I couldn’t really come up with an good comparison for Carlton Martial. The only player that came close size was London Fletcher. However the 5’10” Fletcher was considerably thicker, weighing 242 lbs. I’m sure Carlton would be happy with a 16 year career, with four Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl ring. Former Colt Cato June was also 225 lbs.
Carlton Martial Scouting Report Analyst – Brandon Claburn
