WHO IS Delone Carter?

Indianapolis Colts Rookie RB. 4th round draft pick out of Syracuse.

WHAT you should know

This is the third leading scorer in Syracuse history. He is 5’9, 225 lbs and built like a tank. He runs with what Indianapolis head coach Jim Caldwell calls a “forward lean”, but I like to call it “an anger”. He punishes defenders at the point of impact and moves piles. This is not to say he is strictly a short yardage-type player. He has shown outstanding ability this 2011 preseason to bounce outside and exploit vacated gaps in coverage amid the inside flats. He runs a .40 in the high 4.4s with plenty of front-end acceleration and disciplined, quick feet. With Indianapolis starting RB Joe Addai being an inherent injury risk, and former first-round RB pick Donald Brown failing to solidify a meaningful role in the Indy offense during his first two years in the league, Carter presents a tremendous upside. He has the body of work, and the physical body to take on a workhorse role should the opportunity present itself. Any chips you can have in the Colts offense have added value given their explosive scoring potential when hot.

WHEN you should take him

If you’ve already drafted and he’s on your waiver wire- he’s worthy of a pick up if you have an RB4 in the Ricky Williams / Montario Hardesty area of worthlessness you can dump him for. In drafts, he represents value beyond the 11th round as an RB who could come on in the second half of the season to put up solid RB2 numbers given the right variables falling into place. He’s worth a late-round pick up to hold with a “wait-and-see” approach and should be considered a vital handcuff for Addai owners. He might end up scoring you more fantasy points this year…..

HOW he compares

He reminds me of an early-career Jamal Lewis with a dash of Michael Bush.