You know how sometimes, college football teams have two players wearing the same number, one on offense and one on defense?
It might be like that with the 2021 New York Jets, only with names – one Michael Carter on each side of the ball.
On Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jets selected UNC running back Michael Carter in the fourth round…and that led to a funny moment in their draft room, when ESPN put up a picture of a different Michael Carter, that one Duke cornerback Michael Carter II.
"We were like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Check the notes, make sure we got the right pick,’" Saleh said. "Lucky for us, Michael II ended up falling to us and we ended up scooping him up."
Indeed, Carter II was there when the Jets selected 47 picks later with a fifth-round selection they got from the Giants in the Leonard Williams deal, so he, too, became a Jet.
And immediately, the two – who have played against each other in the ACC and have trained together in the offseasons – had a laugh on Twitter:
Carter (Carter I?) rushed for 1,245 yards last year and, in 44 career games, he ran for 3,404 yards and 22 scores, with 82 receptions for 656 yards and six touchdowns. He owns school records for rush yards per carry in a game, season, and career – 12.8, 8, and 6.6, respectively – and says that coming to New York is a “dream come true” and Gang Green is getting an “explosive, fun” back.
"I try to score every time I get the rock. I love to have fun when I play football. It's a fun game. It's something that can change your life,” Carter said on Zoom after being picked.
“Michael's got tremendous vision, he's got tremendous speed, burst, he's got the ability to make people miss," Saleh explained of his new back. "He's good on third down, coming out of the backfield in the pass game and he's pretty stout in protection. For him to be where he was at 107 was a major surprise to all of us, including Joe and his staff. Felt like it was a no-brainer at that point."
As for Carter II, well, he played all over Duke’s secondary over four years, racking up 135 tackles (7.5 for loss) four interceptions, and 24 pass breakups in 46 games. The Jets listed him as a cornerback – he also played safety and slot nickel back as well – but he’s ready to go wherever Gang Green calls upon him.
"I’m willing to play all those spots, move around and be willing to learn and be versatile at the next level," Carter II said. "They want to play a lot of man. That’s what we did a lot of at Duke. I feel like I’m definitely going to fit right in."
He also knows his namesake will fit right in on the other side of the ball.
"We’ve met a few times and spoke and had conversations," Carter II said of Carter. "He’s a great dude, cool dude. You ask a lot of him and he can do a lot for your team," Michael Carter II said. "He’s definitely going to make an impact."
"I think my change of direction and stop-start ability complements their system well," Carter (I) said of the Jets’ new offensive scheme. "I've been running pretty much wide zone since I was born, so it comes natural to me. We ran a lot of it in college. Even in high school I did it, even in youth football I did it. So I'm very familiar with it."
The two Carters faced off annually as part of the Duke/UNC rivalry, and this moment was definitely one the defender would love to forget:
“He got the best of me one time, I can’t lie,” Carter II laughed.
Now, they’ll try to get the best out of each other as teammates with Gang Green.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch