Film Study: NFL Draft profile of Kivon Cartwright

It’s time for another installment of “Film Study,” you know what that means, time to take an in-depth look at some of the other future “Next Level Rams” that we haven’t covered yet. After talking about a few under the radar prospects it’s time to look at, possibly the most hyped of the CSU NFL hopefuls (not including Rashard Higgins that is), it’s Kivon Cartwright’s turn.

Cartwright is a very interesting NFL Draft test case. Unlike all the other prospects we’ve talked about so far, he isn’t going to be overlooked due to size or athletic limitations. Quite the opposite; Cartwright’s problems stem more from having peaked in 2013 when he was only the second tight end behind Crockett Gillmore, and then missing the majority of  2014 due to a major ankle injury. Cartwright didn’t look 100 percent this season, and though there’s definitely potential, he’s still rough around the edges.

After studying four games of Cartwright’s from the 2013 season (his most productive year statistically) and 2015 season, watching him throughout his career at CSU, and attending his Pro Day, here’s my scouting report.

Much like last time, we’ll look at Cartwright’s strengths first, followed by his weaknesses and then wrap it all up in the end.

Strengths:

• As said in the intro, Cartwright has no size and athleticism limitations, he has prototypical size for a motion TE or H-back (6-foot-3 241 pounds).
• Cartwright immediately stands out for his versatility; in just a few games he was used in the slot, as an in-line TE, in motion, as well as on the outside as a receiver and in the backfield as a blocking fullback, as well as a runner. Not only was he utilized out of all these situations, but he showed the ability to participate in blocking and the ability to be a threat as a receiver from every single one of these spots.
• Especially in his 2013 tape, Cartwright shows the athleticism to be a vertical threat down the seam. He shows good open field agility and is a smooth runner. He also shows ability to consistently create separation against linebackers deep.
• He is a much better pass blocker than run blocker. He shows good base/balance and mobility to hold his ground and good shiftiness to shadow outside rushers. Cartwright has the potential to be a useful added blocker.
• Cartwright is a an effective run blocker when put in motion, if he’s able to get a head of steam and get his feet moving; he’s a competent run blocker who can create some push.
• Cartwright is an impressive athlete for the position. He’s able to get at top speed in a flash (for a big man)and shows ability to be a devastating open field runner. His combination of speed, agility and bulk is truly impressive. For opposing defenders in the open field, he is a scary prospect to bring down. He scored two TDs against San Jose St in 2013 and made them look easy. His stats in 2013 would have looked even better if he hadn’t out-run a few passes.
• Especially when 100 percent healthy in 2013, he showed superb big play ability. He scored an impressive touchdown on 14 percent of his catches throughout his career, and was even more impressive in 2013 scoring on 22 percent of his receptions. (To give an idea Higgins scored on 17 percent of his receptions in his All-American 2014 season. Will Fuller one of the most devastating deep threats in the country scored on 22 percent of his catches in 2015).
• When watching Cartwright’s tape in 2015 he showed significant improvements as an in-line blocker.

Weaknesses:

• Cartwright was blown up blocking in motion as an extra blocker on the left side in a 3rd and 3 against San Jose State. The play was designed to be run to his side, but because of his missed block the play was stopped in it’s tracks and CSU didn’t convert the run play. You see this time and time again, plays that would go for positive yardage go nowhere because Cartwright can’t sustain his block against the run. This is most likely his greatest flaw as a future NFL tight end.
• He does show a willingness as a blocker and is able to seal off lanes, but not a powerful blocker. He doesn’t create push and won’t sustain a block for a prolonged period of time, and is a liability in this area (was in the 2013 tape I studied).
• His instincts in coming back to the ball aren’t great, and he doesn’t show above average ability in contested ball situations.
• Cartwright has good ability to separate underneath, but needs to be more definitive when running his routes. He tries to freelance too often, is not smooth in his cuts, and doesn’t sit down on routes. His eyes are late to the ball at times.
• He hasn’t shown regular or consistent hands, is not a natural hands catcher, and has had the occasional drop.
• Cartwright is simply ineffective when used as an inline blocker and will be limited to an H-back role (motion TE who splits time in the backfield as a Fullback, think Aaron Hernandez before the arrest or Charles Clay).

Conclusion:

Due to his injuries and unique role, Cartwright is a very particular case who could entice more scouts then Rams fans might think. For starters, he’s lucky to be in a draft during a down year for the tight end position, and this, plus his potential, opens up possibilities for him to be drafted, certainly more so than in a conventional year.

Cartwright isn’t your typical tight end, he’s not a Rob Gronkowski who can be a threat as both a blocker and a receiver, and he’s not a Jimmy Graham type either who’s oversized and can dominate as a receiver in the slot. His role as an H-back should make you think more of a player like Charles Clay who can be moved around and is actually at his best in motion as well as being used out the backfield and in other creative ways.

It was truly fascinating watching CSU’s offense in 2013 and being able to compare Cartwright side by side with a current NFL tight end like Crockett Gillmore. While Crockett was the more complete and consistent player, Cartwright was the more explosive receiver and runner. His potential as a receiving TE, deep threat down the seam and big play threat on the run is enticing.

This catch at the Shrine Game is a perfect example of the good and bad of Cartwright as a receiver. He gets to full speed quickly, creates separation, and times his jump perfectly. Often, though he’s created an open catch opportunity for himself and is catching the pass without a defender on his back, he has to catch the ball in two sequences and almost drops it. He’s a smooth athlete with lots of talent and big play ability, but his hands, his blocking and the injury concerns are big question marks that will be hard to overlook for NFL front offices.

Given all this, Cartwright will most likely find himself on the 6-7th round bubble and could even become a priority undrafted free agent. In a shallow tight end class with lots of projects, his draft stock has realistic chances to be drafted as well as some developmental upside, if used in the proper system.