2023 NFL Draft: Georgia DT Jalen Carter’s talent could be overshadowed by off-field issues

The 2023 NFL Draft is approaching quickly, and the discourse surrounding the top prospects in the class is in full swing. One of the highest-ranked players on most draft boards is Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The two-time national champion is coming off a junior season where he was once again the most talented player on the best defense in college football. Even last spring, scouts were raving about Carter as a potentially better prospect than teammates Travon Walker (who went No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft) and Jordan Davis (13 overall in 2022).

Carter was a highly-touted recruit coming out of Apopka High School in Florida, and that translated into immediate playing time at Georgia. He started two games and appeared in 10 as a true freshman before his breakout 2021 season. As part of a deep rotation, Carter flashed his incredible talents as a run defender (8.5 TFL), pass rusher (3.0 sacks), and on special teams (two blocked FGs) en route to a second-team All-SEC award.

His senior season in 2022 was hampered by an injury that caused him to miss two games, but Carter still showed off his incredible blend of size, strength, and athleticism. It also came with the responsibility of being “the guy”, as it was clear opponents began to game plan around limiting Carter’s effectiveness. He still turned in a terrific season, helping Georgia to a second-straight CFP Championship. Carter himself won additional accolades, including first-team AP All-American and first-team All-SEC honors.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select Jalen Carter at pick No. 9 in the 2023 NFL Draft. For full coverage of the Jalen Carter pick, head over to Bleeding Green Nation.

The first thing that pops off the tape when watching Jalen Carter is his explosiveness off the snap. This is a player who can win a rep within the blink of an eye, forcing his way into the backfield to wreak havoc as both a pass rusher and run defender. That quickness is even more dangerous when combined with Carter’s strength at the point of attack. He’s shown the ability to dominate at the line of scrimmage, tossing opponents back and immediately knocking them off balance. Once that happens, it’s over.

His style of play is very conducive to highlight reels, as the speed with which Carter wins can be jaw-dropping at times.

It’s not just the strength and athleticism that makes Carter such a good player. Georgia’s defense demands discipline against the run, and Carter excelled in that role. He’s a smart, high-motor defender who does his job before looking to make the big play. Carter also showcased a lot of versatility, lining up all over the defensive front from shade nose to big end. He possesses excellent lateral mobility skills for an interior player and is extremely dangerous when deployed on stunts and twists.

While Carter is an extremely impressive prospect, he’s also a very young player who will be entering the league at just age 22. There’s some growth necessary in several areas for Carter to reach his ceiling, which appears to be that of a perennial Pro Bowler on the interior. As is common for prospects with outstanding natural talent, his biggest deficiency at this point is his hand usage and overall lack of a pass rush plan. While Carter has a lethal initial punch and is very difficult to move, he can struggle to disengage from offensive linemen once they’ve got their hands on him.

Carter is clearly working on developing his pass rush repertoire, as there are flashes of a dangerous swim move and some attempts at a spin move on tape. He’ll need to continue this growth and put it all together with his natural athletic gifts to reach his potential at the NFL level. There are also some minor conditioning concerns, given Georgia’s deep rotation and Carter’s struggles late in the game against Ohio State in the college football playoffs semifinals.

Carter did not work out at the NFL Combine, but did measure in at an impressive 6’3, 315 lbs. His frame is prototypical for the interior, and he came in with above-average arm length as well (33.5”, 63rd percentile). Given his tape and above-average size, I would have expected Carter to test out among the very best athletes at defensive tackle in Indianapolis. if he had completed the drills.

Here’s how NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein described Carter in his official scouting report:

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...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.

Put it all together and you have a prospect who should be a lock to go in the top 5 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft. He has strong competition from another excellent prospect in Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. in terms of the “most talented defender” label, and both should be valued extremely highly.

Game tape and talent level won’t be the only thing weighing on NFL general managers in April, however. Carter was arrested and booked on March 1 for reckless driving and racing charges stemming from a car crash in January. In that incident, a fellow Georgia football player and staffer were both killed in another vehicle. Carter pleaded no contest to the charges and was placed on probation along with other stipulations.

Additionally, Carter was cited for speeding several times during the season. There are also other vague off-field concerns about maturity that have been brought up by some anonymous scouts. It will ultimately be up to NFL evaluators to determine how big of an impact those problems will have on Carter’s draft stock.

Based on the tape, Georgia’s Jalen Carter has a strong case to be considered the most talented player in the 2023 NFL Draft. Where he is actually picked may not reflect that on-field talent.