What will Gators defensive lineman Zachary Carter's role be in 2019?

The redshirt sophomore anxiously awaits a breakout year in 2019. What will it take for that to happen?

Hidden within the depth of the Florida Gators defensive line over the past two seasons, redshirt sophomore Zachary Carter hasn't been given too many opportunities to make an impact.

That should change in 2019.

The Gators lost a key contributor to their pass rush in Jachai Polite to the 2019 NFL Draft, immediately following his 11 sack, 19.5 tackle-for-loss breakout year last season. That level of production is crazy for one player, and while Florida has a comfortable starting line to continue creating pressure, it'll take contribution from role players in order to totally replace Polite and Co.'s production.

Zachary Carter will be a key contributor among that group. The 6-4, 263 lb. defensive lineman has seen time through spring and fall in a role similar to redshirt senior Jabari Zuniga's from last year. Zuniga, who recorded 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss himself, split his snaps between defensive end and tackle at a rate of 86% to 14%, respectively - per Pro Football Focus.

Expect Carter to hold a similar role in Flordia's defensive line rotation this year - perhaps with an uptick in reps along the interior as he's performed well there in camp.

In camp drills open to the media, Carter looked incredibly fluid and agile. Through the defensive line "shoot", he moved laterally very well and with little wasted movement. His ability to bend has improved, and he plays with a ton of power. 

From camp and tape observations, Carter arguably moves better than any defensive lineman on the roster.

We saw this level of improvement in his game dating back to the Gators spring game as well. Carter came out firing with a mix of pass rush moves, including a dangerous cross-chop, a progressing dip-and-bend move, the foundation of a strong arm-bar, and displaying controlled power and violent hands while utilizing his length. His burst was also really impressive.

There are aspects to Carter's game that need fine-tuning, which will come with reps over time. He has a tendency to over-pursue in the backfield and sometimes pulls the trigger too early when reading options. But his traits are salivating for a pass-rush happy defensive coordinator like Florida's Todd Grantham, which will get him those reps.

A great way to incorporate Carter into the defense and best utilize his skill-set is developing a "lightning" package - getting the four best, most athletic and developed pass rushers on the field. If Brenton Cox Jr., who just transferred to Florida from Georgia, can get a waiver approved to see the field for Florida in 2019, a package of Cox Jr., Carter, Zuniga, and Jonathan Greenard across the line would be deadly.

His production in the past is limited due to his lack of playing time - one tackle for loss, eight total tackles, and two batted passes, just in 2018. It's hard to predict exactly how productive he will be in a larger role in 2019. 

However, Carter has flashed the athletic ability and pass-rush technique that will earn him reps, and he has backed that up with the approval of both the coaching staff and his teammates. 

Carter's transition into what we'll call the "rotational Zuniga role" has gone over well, and he will be a key member of Florida's rotation on the defensive line in 2019.