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Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 9 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Eagles traded up one spot with the Chicago Bears to land the pick and he gets reunited with former Bulldog teammates Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean on defense. This is incredible value for the reigning NFC Champion as Carter was viewed as the potential No. 1 pick ahead of his stock falling in March.
After three strong seasons playing for the Georgia Bulldogs, DT Jalen Carter has opted for the 2023 NFL Draft. The former five-star recruit has all the goods to make an impression at the next level, and he’s regarded as one of the top players in his position in the draft pool.
Carter had an outstanding collegiate career. Most notably, he was awarded the Outland Trophy (which goes to the nation’s top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy — which goes to the nation’s top defender. On top of that, he was All-SEC first team while finishing the season as the highest-graded defender on Pro Football Focus.
DT Jalen Carter: Scouting Report
Carter’s elite size, strength, and speed combination is unmatched. He can play nearly any position on the defensive line, as was the case in Georgia.
He hangs his hat on being a fantastic interior pass rusher, but he’s dominant against the run as well. Needless to say, he’s the top prospect at his position in this draft, and you could argue that he’s a top-five talent overall.
However, Carter has controversy and discipline issues hanging over his draft resume at the moment. In March, he was charged with misdemeanors and reckless driving while connected to a crash that killed a teammate and recruiting staff member.
Mock Draft landing spots
Carter might be the biggest non-quarterback wild card when it comes to draft location. The Athletic has Carter going to the Chicago Bears with the No. 9 pick, while CBS has the Atlanta Falcons selecting him with the No. 8 pick. NBC Sports’ Peter King and ESPN’s Matt Miller have Carter going to the Seahawks at No. 5 -- a spot that he’s been linked to throughout the draft process).