Former Pittsburgh Panthers offensive tackle Carter Warren met with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he told Steelers Depot in an interview at the Luxor Hotel during Shrine Bowl Week. Warren was the left tackle for current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett during Pickett’s final three seasons at Pitt.
Warren was an All-ACC second-team performer in 2021 and was projected to be drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he came back in 2022 but only played four games before shutting it down due to an undisclosed injury. Warren is not participating at the Shrine Bowl due to the injury, and while he received a combine invite he also will not participate there. He will, however, participate at his Pro Day.
Despite not participating, Warren is relishing the experience of meeting his peers at the Shrine Bowl.
“I think it’s huge, I was out the fourth game of the season and I think a lot of people forgot about me,” Warren said. “So it was good to put a face to the name and get to meet everyone.”
Warren also talked about the 2021 season at Pitt.
“It was an amazing experience, just winning the ACC Championship, everything we dreamed about,” Warren said. “It was a blessing.”
He was a captain during his senior year at Pitt, and he played on an offensive line that featured all seniors. With Pittsburgh presumably looking for offensive line help, Warren could be a good developmental piece who already has a ton of familiarity with the man they want to be their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future in Pickett. Given the fact that the Steelers share a facility with the Panthers, they’ve likely gotten an up-close look at Warren over the years just as they did with Pickett. He also has a lot of college experience, with 39 career college starts.
Warren told Steelers Depot he expects to be drafted in the fourth or fifth round. That’s around the range where I would expect the Steelers to address the tackle position if they don’t take one in the first round, and Warren could be the perfect fit to develop behind Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor.
We’ll see what happens throughout the pre-draft process, as a good Pro Day could help boost Warren’s draft stock. If he shows he’s fully healthy, he could be a steal in the draft. I think the Steelers like Moore Jr.’s development, but if he struggles in 2023 they could be looking for his replacement and that could be in the form of a tackle they draft and develop in 2022.
Warren measured in at the Shrine Bowl at 6053, 323-pounds with 35-inch arms, 9 1/8-inch hands and a wingspan of 84 3/4-inches.
