Philadelphia Eagles draft Jalen Carter in 1st round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles have drafted former Georgia star Jalen Carter in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 9 overall pick, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. The Eagles traded with the Chicago Bears to get the No. 9 overall pick, moving up one spot from No. 10.

The 6-foot-3, 313-pound former five-star recruit finished his final collegiate with 32 tackles including three sacks with seven for loss after battling injuries early in the year.

He finished his three-year career totaling 83 stops with six sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 38 games and was regarded as the most dominant defensive tackle in college football over the past two seasons.

At one time regarded as the No. 1 overall player in the draft cycle, controversy surrounding the former two-time national champion dropped him on draft day. Multiple teams reportedly took Carter off their draft boards following the news of his arrest warrant back in March.

Carter pleaded no-contest to reckless driving and racing charges against him in relation to a car crash in January that killed offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. He was reportedly sentenced to 12 months probation, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service and must complete a defensive driving course. 

Before Georgia, Carter was the No. 14 overall recruit in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He attended Apopka (Florida) High, the same school that produced Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jalen Carter

NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein provided the following analysis of Carter, offering Tennessee Titans DT Jeffery Simmons as a historical comparison to the former Georgia star.

“When assessing a player’s draft grade, we take into consideration areas like traits, toughness, explosiveness, skill level, potential for growth and positional projections. Across the board, Carter checks out in a big way,” Zierlein wrote. “However, his maturity will need to be vetted by each team as they make their evaluations. The tape shows a defender with odd- or even-front versatility and a rare blend of first-step quickness and leverage through contact.

“He’s capable of finding quick wins against sloppy guard play and finishes the play once he’s in the backfield. His hand usage can be violent or subtle, but the feet are always active and searching for an opening. Based upon talent, traits and projection, Carter appears ready to step into the NFL and become a productive three-down talent with Pro Bowl potential.”

Carter’s massive upside includes his lean build for his position, his ability to rocket out of his stance, has accurate, compact hands to push blockers and has perfected the step-and-swim move to bypass offensive linemen.