NFL Draft Underdog Dominates his Pro Day, The Impact of Patriots' $69 Million Bet | 4 Downs
This week, two superters on various holes of the back-nine of their career found new homes.
In New York, the Giants are banking on Russell Wilson being able to provide some stability at quarterback, while in New England the Patriots made a big bet that Stefon Diggs will be the explosive weapon Drake Maye and the offense have been missing.
Four weeks out from the NFL Draft, Michigan State running back Nathan Carter opens up about how he combined the sting of being an NFL Combine snub and his deeply-rooted faith to motivate him into turning in an electrifying performance at his pro day, former Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham offers in-depth analysis of what Diggs adds to Josh McDaniels’ offense, plus, the top destinations for Brandon Aiyuk who could be the latest building block demolished by the San Francisco 49ers.
All that, and more, inside this week’s 4 Downs:
First Down: After Combine Snub, Nathan Carter’s Pro Day Puts Scouts on Notice
Despite training alongside NFL hopefuls invited to the Combine, Nathan Carter never got the call—fueling a relentless drive to prove he was just as worthy.
Mired in an offense that never quite shifted into overdrive last season, Carter was the Spartans’ second-leading rusher, posting 499 yards and five touchdowns in his second season in East Lansing, after transferring from UCONN.
When 329 NFL Draft prospects descended on Indianapolis and the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Carter wasn’t among them.
To prepare for the upcoming draft, any forthcoming visits to team facilities, and any private workouts ahead of next month’s draft, Carter set up shop at one of the elite training facilities, XPE in Fort Lauderdale.
That’s where Carter worked out alongside the likes of USC’s Woody Marks, Syracuse’s LaQuint Allen, and others, aiming to get stronger, to get faster for the stopwatches that loomed and more explosive for the eyes of NFL scouts who would be looking on.
“I trained with a lot of the guys, and athletes who were invited to the Combine,” Carter told me during a wide-ranging phone conversation. “It was amazing being able to train with them, being able to meet a lot of people, and I felt personally that I had a strong opportunity to get invited to the Combine. I ultimately didn’t, and I’m grateful for the opportunity that I did get, which was the Michigan State pro day.”
Each time Carter stepped to the starting line in training, or laid down on the bench press to push himself further, it was his faith that fueled him.
“Even in the midst of the Michigan State pro day,” Carter says. “It’s kind of what drove me, and kind of what kept me staying consistent, kept me going, and pushing amidst training and not really getting discouraged. It was understanding that the Lord’s ways are going to work out for me, it was nothing but his strength and his glory that I was able to perform the way that I did at the MSU Pro Day, and I’m grateful for that.”
Back on familiar turf in East Lansing for the program’s pro day, Carter turned in a workout like a man looking to prove his detractors wrong, prove to himself that he belongs, and he wound up besting many of the same players that he had trained alongside of before they boarded their flights to Indianapolis.
At 5-foot-10 and 202 pounds, had Carter participated in the Combine, his blazing 4.37 40-yard dash would have ranked second among all running backs, behind only Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten (4.32).
Carter’s 40-inch vertical leap was half an inch shorter than Tuten’s 10-foot-8-inch broad jump would have tied Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson for fifth-best in Indianapolis. And, Carter’s 23 reps on the bench press would have tied Michigan’s Donovan Edwards for the most among NFL Combine running backs.
“I think a lot of people were surprised,” Carter told me of the reaction from the NFL scouts and coaches in attendance at Michigan State. “A lot of people didn’t really expect for me to perform that well, from what I was hearing.
“Not many people expected me to run that fast a 40, or for me it’s to really look as explosive and as fast and as twitchy as I was. That’s just a testament to the Lord doing his work in my life, and the amazing preparation that I had while training at XPE. So, it was amazing to be able to get that encouraging feedback to get my notoriety, for lack of a better word, for scouts and people to see my ability firsthand, to see what I can do on the field. So, it was amazing to hear that feedback.”
Carter remains in wait-and-see mode when it comes to official team visits, but his Pro Day numbers suggest he won’t stay overlooked for long.
In an era where running backs are used as pass catchers out of the backfield more than ever, Carter’s 9.6 yards per reception average on his 18 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 is the kind of value-add that could push him up boards and into the middle rounds of this year’s draft.
It’s also the area he’s focusing on improving the most.
“I always want to continue to improve my ability as a pass-catcher,” Carter explains. “Being effective in the backfield running routes, especially in the league that we play in right now, those who are able to be effective in the passing game, as running backs, separate themselves from everybody else.”
After studying some of the most productive running backs in the league today, borrowing elements of Christian McCaffrey’s elusiveness, Josh Jacobs’ explosiveness and trying to integrate them into his own skill-set, Carter says there are a few areas he’s focusing on improving during this homestretch of his draft prep.
“Being able to continue growing my explosiveness and my burst, and having my quick-feet,” Carter points out. “Being able to make quick decisions on zone-scheme runs and man-blocking schemes, just to show I’m growing in those areas, and I’m striving to be more explosive.
“You get stronger in the weight room, continue to even grow in my speed, and be more efficient in my footwork and my movement, those are areas I feel like as a running back you can improve on every year.”
Newly married, grounded in his faith, and at age 22, Carter says there is one running back he most patterns his game after, after watching his film for hours on end.
“Growing up I always loved watching Walter Payton,” Carter says. “Walter Payton was a guy who I want to embody my game after. Someone who wasn’t recruited high, wasn’t the biggest running back, might not have been the fastest running back, but it was how aggressive he was, how passionate he was about the game of football, and how just elusive and sweet he was.
“He was called sweetness because of how he ran the ball, and I try to resemble my game after that.”
Second Down: Chain Mover and Red Zone Threat— How Stefon Diggs Fits in the Patriots’ Offense
Stefon Diggs is betting on himself. The Patriots are betting on him, too. Coming off a torn ACL, the 31-year-old wide receiver landed a massive three-year, $69 million deal with New England—making him the centerpiece of an offense desperately in need of firepower for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
“He’s going to be a good position flex piece,” an NFL offensive coach tells me, of Diggs, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about another team. “Josh [McDaniels] will use him a lot in slot and also as single receiver to isolate him for matchups.”
Diggs’ lone season with the Houston Texans ended after just eight weeks, and he is clearly looking to prove that he has no ill effects from the debilitating injury, and is still capable of being the focal point of an offense.
Shortly after the Patriots signed Diggs, I reached out to former New England Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham, who played alongside new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and practiced each day against coordinator Josh McDaniels’ offense to get his perspective on how Diggs might fit in New England, how he might be used, and what kind of in impact he’ll have on Maye making major strides in 2025.
“Based on what we saw from Diggs in his half season in Houston,” Chatham tells me. “My guess is the best case scenario is he’s a big sticks mover, and catch-gobbler type.”
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