CJ Carr QB Notre Dame |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Light frame that NFL rushers will test as the pocket collapses
• Creates little off-script and wins from structure rather than his legs
• Struggled to finish in the BYU loss, completing 27 of 49 throws

Scouting Report: Summary

Carr is a timing-and-rhythm passer whose calling card is a compact, repeatable release. The ball comes out clean and on time throw after throw, and the placement on back-shoulder fades and out-breakers sets up everything underneath. He averaged 9.4 yards per attempt in his first season as the starter, and he plays with the composure of a coach's kid who has grown up around the position.

The 2026 tape has been even better. Through eight games he has 18 touchdown passes against one interception, he threw four scores against Rice and four more at North Carolina, and he has taken only two sacks behind a quick internal clock. He has also run for two touchdowns. He runs the offense at the line like a veteran and has kept a 7-1 team on schedule week after week. When the run game stalls, the offense now leans on his arm, and he has handled that load.

However, the cautions start with the frame. He is light, and NFL rushers will test him as the pocket collapses, and he creates little off-script, winning from structure rather than extending with his legs. The BYU loss showed the limits when the structure broke down: he threw 49 times, completed 27 and could not finish the final drive from the 9-yard line. Much of his 2025 production also came with two strong running backs drawing eight-man boxes, so teams will lean on this season's film to isolate how much of the offense runs through his arm.

Overall, the release and the processing are real first-round traits, and he has protected the ball as well as any quarterback in the country. He projects as a first-round passer and a long-term starter for a rhythm-based offense, though as a redshirt sophomore he could also play another season in South Bend.