Jalen Carter tops Mel Kiper's most recent big board
ESPN’s Todd McShay has caught some heat for what he had to say this week about Jalen Carter, but Georgia fans are sure to be happy with his partner at the worldwide leader in sports Mel Kiper. He’s got Carter as the top overall prospect on his big board released earlier this week, one of three Bulldogs in the top 25.
“No. 1 is Jalen Carter, I gave him the slight edge over Will Anderson Jr. the outside rusher. I went with the interior presence, the disrupter along the interior. That’s Jalen Carter,” Kiper said during a SportsCenter special doing an early look ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft. “He’s another guy who’s been banged up. First game against Oregon, then again, another injury, but late in the year when he got back, those last four or five games, he was wreaking havoc inside. Arguably the best defensive player on that talent latent Georgia Bulldog defense last year. Jalen Carter is a physical presence. He dominates inside. That’s what bothers quarterbacks the most. I’ve got Jalen Carter, defensive tackle, Georgia No. 1 on my big board right now.”
The DawgsHQ crew also spoke about Carter, an unanimous All-American, on the most recent version of The Georgia Show.
Carter moves up to No. 1 after previously being at No. 2 behind Will Anderson Jr. Kiper cites the reason for that being his late-season production, explosiveness at the snap and ability to finish well around the ball, dominating from the interior.
Carter isn’t the only Georgia player that Kiper is high on. He’s also got Broderick Jones and Kelee Ringo in his top 25 at No. 23 and No. 25 respectively.
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“Jones is just a third-year sophomore, so he could still return to school in 2023. But what he has done as the Bulldogs’ left tackle this season warrants first-round consideration,” Kiper wrote. “He’s the total package, a mauler in the run game and an effortless blocker in the pass game. He has power and solid footwork and understands the game. I’ve been impressed. He hasn’t allowed a single sack this season and has given up only five total pressures.”
“Ringo is another corner who hasn’t allowed a touchdown against him this season, and he could get two more games to impress NFL scouts,” he added on Ringo. “He has great size and speed, though he’s still raw with his technique. He has four interceptions the past two seasons, including the national-title-clinching pick-six against Alabama last January. Ringo should test extremely well at the combine.”
Then there are the position-specific rankings. Kiper has Stetson Bennett at No. 9 among quarterbacks, Kenny McIntosh in the “Just missed” group for the running backs, Arik Gilbert at No. 5 for fullbacks/H-backs, Darnell Washington at No. 6 among tight ends, Sedrick Van Pran at No. 3 among centers, Nolan Smith at No. 4 of the outside linebackers and Christopher Smith at No. 4 for the safeties. Carter obviously comes in at No. 1 at his position while Jones and Ringo rank No. 3 and No. 5 respectively at theirs.
