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Dynasty Prospect Profile: Leonte Carroo

Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers

Height: 6’0

Weight: 211

Age: 22.1

Combine results:

(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):

40-yard dash: 4.50 seconds (53rd percentile)

Vertical: 35.5” (47th percentile)

Broad: 10’ (47th percentile)

3-cone: DNP

20-yard shuttle: DNP

College career:

A state champion high school sprinter and 4-star WR recruit, Carroo played strictly on special teams as a true freshman in 2012.

He appeared in 10 games with 3 starts in his sophomore campaign. Carroo’s 9 TDs easily led a team that totaled just 22 passing scores.

2014 marked his breakout season. He accounted for 27.6% of his team’s receptions, 36.7% of its receiving yards and 45.5% of the receiving TDs. Carroo’s 19.7 yards per catch led all WRs in the nation with more than 50 grabs. His 10 scores tied a Rutgers single-season record. And he became the 6th Scarlet Knight to top 1,000 receiving yards, joining the likes of Kenny Britt and Mohamed Sanu.

Expectations were high heading into 2015. Carroo was named First-Team All-Big 10 and to the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top WR.

But his season was marred by suspension and injury. Carroo was banned for 2 games for an assault arrest. Charges were eventually dropped by the female victim, but it’ll still be a topic NFL teams will need to dig into during the pre-draft process. Carroo also missed 2 games with a high-ankle sprain. He re-injured that ankle during Senior Bowl practice in January and missed the game.

Carroo remained productive when he was on the field in 2015, though. He tallied 129+ yards in 4 of his 8 games and popped in 3 scores in 3 different outings. His per-game averages of 4.9 catches, 101.1 yards and 1.25 TDs easily bested his 2014 marks (4.2-83.5-.77). He left as Rutgers’ all-time leader in career receiving TDs.

While his bulk stats aren’t as big as some of the other top WRs in this class, Carroo’s rate stats stack up against anyone. He averaged 19.5 yards per catch and posted a 23.8% TD rate — both elite marks.

His numbers look even more impressive when you consider that Rutgers didn’t crack the top 50 in pass yards or TDs in any of the last 3 seasons.

Film study:

Courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com

Games watched - Michigan St., Indiana, Ohio St., Maryland

Carroo is at his best working downfield. He displays a good release off the line on “go” patterns and has the speed to run by most DBs.

Leonte Carroo (Rutgers WR) vs Indiana 2015

He smokes a defender here with a stutter step and would have scored a TD had the ball not been underthrown.

LEONTE CARROO WR #4 Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Maryland

He uses a subtle head fake on this deep ball to get the defender to bite on an outside break.

Leonte Carroo (Rutgers WR) vs Indiana 2015

That TD also shows Carroo’s willingness and ability to high-point and win jump balls. He’s a natural hands-catcher with a strong pair of mitts. Per Pro Football Focus, Carroo dropped just 2 of 96 catchable targets over the past 2 seasons — a sterling 2.1% drop rate.

LEONTE CARROO WR #4 Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Maryland

LEONTE CARROO WR #4 Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Maryland

Although he goes just 6’0, Carroo is thickly built and plays strong. Rutgers didn’t give him a ton of chances to make plays after the catch, but he flashed plenty of ability when they did.

Leonte Carroo (Rutgers WR) vs Indiana 2015

Carroo displays impressive burst to get upfield and then outruns #9’s angle to get into the end zone.

The only real knock against Carroo is that we don’t see him running a vast variety of routes. That doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t, but it’s more of a projection than something we can actually see on film.

Fantasy potential:

Caroo had a very productive college career, especially considering the fact that he played in a mediocre passing game. The film shows a good route runner with reliable hands and loads of big-play ability.

Character issues probably stand as the biggest concern. Carroo is also on the older side and might not have as much room for growth as someone like Laquon Treadwell, who’s almost a year-and-a-half younger.

Carroo doesn’t look like a transcendent talent who will be able to carry an NFL offense. But his combination of speed, strength and hands give him a good shot to emerge as a solid starter. He looks like a fantasy WR2 or WR3, depending on landing spot.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.