Weighing expectations for Eagles DT Jalen Carter in 2024

Jalen Carter was a standout rookie in 2023 before fading down the stretch, just like the Philadelphia Eagles as a whole.

After a standout career at Georgia, the Eagles paired Carter with his former Bulldogs teammate Jordan Davis. The two are expected to man the front seven for the foreseeable future.

For NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Reuben Frank, Carter is due for a tremendous year after slipping towards the end of the 2023 season.

“He and Davis both faded, but Carter started out at a much higher point,” Frank wrote. “Looking at the big picture, this was a rookie interior lineman who had 6.0 sacks, eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, and the last Eagles defensive tackle to do that in a season was Darwin Walker 20 years earlier in 2003. It’s scary to think how good this kid can be. All-pro good. 

“He’s big, fast, powerful, dominating. In Year 2, with better conditioning, a growing understanding of the NFL game and an upgraded defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio, I expect huge things from Carter.”

Jalen Carter poised for breakout 2024?

Frank also chalked up the undo criticism of Carter on Davis as well.

“I feel like sometimes Jalen Carter is unfairly criticized because of Jordan Davis’s inconsistency,” Frank wrote. “Kind of guilt by association. And it’s complicated because both of them did tail off last year, just like almost everybody on the roster. 

“Seems like because Carter and Davis were college teammates, were both 1st-round picks, are best friends and play similar positions they just get automatically linked together. But even with a late-season decline, Carter had a fantastic rookie year.”

Overall, Carter finished with 33 total tackles, 20 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown.

Now playing under Fangio on the defensive side of the ball, Carter is due for more. Such is the expectation of the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As a member of the Class of 2020, Carter was a five-star recruit out of Apopka (Fla.) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, the No. 4 defensive lineman in the class and the No. 14 overall prospect in the class.