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The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner and a storyline to watch in the first round is where Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter will land.
Out of the numerous NFL defensive prospects to emerge from UGA’s back-to-back national title runs, Carter has been regarded by many as the best of them all. Following the conclusion of the 2022 college football season, he seemed like a strong candidate to be taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. However, his stock has taken a hit since then.
On March 1, he was charged with reckless driving and racing by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department concerning the January fatal car crash that killed Georgia teammate Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. On March 16, he pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges. He avoided jail time, but received 12 months of probation along with a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service, and a driving course that he must complete. His no-contest plea came just one day after a poor showing during Georgia’s Pro Day, where he came in nine pounds heavier than he weighed at the NFL Scouting Combine and couldn’t finish the position drills.
Carter is still considered one of the top overall prospects in the entire draft class, but the damage has been to his stock after a month of March he’d like to forget. We’ll go over where we think he’ll be selected come April 27.
2023 NFL Draft: Jalen Carter
Scouting report
At 6’3”, 314 pounds, Carter was a terror for opposing SEC offensive lines at Georgia and was literally a handful. Through three seasons, he amounted 83 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks, earning unanimous All-American status in 2022.
Simple stats do not accurately describe his dominance as he was regularly able to fight through double teams and create nightmarish problems for opposing offenses. According to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, he’s very quick out of his stance and can overwhelm opposing guards, allowing him to do further damage in the backfield if one of his teammates hadn’t already gotten there. However, concerns over his conditioning were amplified by his poor Pro Day performance. On top of that, he was already being criticized for maturity issues before his legal issues emerged in March.
Where should Georgia DT be selected?
Carter made a pre-draft visit with the Seattle Seahawks in early April and we’ll predict that he lands there with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. This is a luxury pick for the Seahawks thanks to the Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos and they could use this selection to bolster their defensive line.