Dallas Cowboys select Wake Forest CB Caelen Carson at No. 174 overall in 2024 NFL draft (2024)

FRISCO — Caelen Carson spent the first two days of the NFL draft waiting.

The Wake Forest cornerback thought his name might be called in the third or fourth round. His mother, Latasha Owens, invited “the whole world” to their house on Friday, but the celebration was delayed.

On Saturday afternoon, Carson’s moment finally came as the Cowboys selected him in the fifth round (174th overall).

“Yeah, I mean, definitely a big relief for me, because you got yesterday — it was supposed to be immediate family and my mom invited the whole world,” Carson said. “And then today, the whole world showed up again and we just hoping I get drafted. And once I was getting pushed back, it was like, ‘I don’t know how this is going to go.’ It was definitely a relief on me.”

Carson (5-11, 195 pounds) posted 42 total tackles, eight pass deflections and one forced fumble in 2023. He finished his collegiate career with 120 total tackles, three interceptions and 29 pass breakups.

He accepted an invite to this year’s Senior Bowl, but missed it with a foot sprain. Carson also didn’t work out at the scouting combine because of the injury.

Carson said he’s fully healed now. But health has been an issue and may be why he slid to the fifth round. An assortment of injuries caused him to miss games the last three seasons.

“This is what comes with it,” he said. “You play a lot of games, you’re gonna get hurt some. You’re going to have nicks and bruises. But at the end of the day, you got to keep going, so I never stopped. Like always kept coming back the next season or the next game. I think I have a strong mind-set. So I don’t think any of that will ever put me down.”

Carson, a four-year starter, did run a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day, so it’s clear his health is improving.

“I have no idea,” he said of why he fell in the draft. “I still haven’t really wrapped my mind about that. But I’m in the position I’m supposed to be in. It’s God’s plan. I’m in the right spot.”

Carson is the third defensive player selected by the Cowboys in this year’s draft, joining Western Michigan DE Marshawn Kneeland and Notre Dame LB Marist Liufau.

Carson most likely will play in the slot and could also become a key special teamer, having contributed on all special teams units in college.

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