Jalen Carter, who at one point was regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the draft, continues to fall down the draft boards. This could be beneficial for the Eagles who currently have the 10th pick and the draft capital in upcoming years to move up. Next year the Eagles have 8 draft picks and 4 projected compensatory picks. Unloading some of them to move in front of teams potentially looking to take Jalen Carter is a no brainer.
Jalen Carter’s draft stock has taken multiple hits over the past couple months and with good reason. It began with his involvement in the car crash that took the lives of teammate Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy. The incident ended up forcing Carter to leave the NFL Combine and return to Georgia to face charges. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, resulting in one year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service. His draft stock continued to fall when he showed up to Georgia’s pro day on March 15th 9 pounds heavier than expected and was visibly winded going through drills.
With all of these red flags it can be hard to see why moving up in the draft to take him is the smart choice. These incidents don’t alter the fact that he is by far the best defensive tackle in the draft. His talent is undeniable. Jalen Carter is a generational talent playing a position that the Eagles favor taking in early rounds. This is the same player who was the consensus number 1 pick a few months ago. Opportunities like this are few and far between so it’s crucial the Eagles heavily debate making this type of move. With two former teammates, Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis currently on the Eagles roster, Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office are surely doing their homework.
The Eagles are coming off a season where they were crowned NFC Champions and a few mistakes away from being Super Bowl Champions. The luxury of having the 10th pick is more important than ever. There’s been a lot of speculation that the Eagles could take one of the top cornerbacks or running back Bijan Robinson with their first pick. Looking at the Eagles draft history, Howie Roseman has never selected either of those positions in the first round. In fact, the Eagles Franchise has not selected either of those positions in the first round in over 20 years. Both of those positions would be great additions, but it would be uncharacteristic of Howie to do that.
The more likely situation is that the Eagles select an offensive or defensive lineman to replace aging veterans. With the draft capital the Eagles have in upcoming years, now may be the time to move up and select a blue chip talent.
It is difficult to determine at this point exactly how much Jalen Carter’s draft stock will fall, but if he is on the board after the top five selections, it’s certainly worth making a call. If the asking price is the 10th pick, a future second round pick, and a third round pick to get in position to select the most talented player in the 2023 NFL draft, I don’t think the Eagles should hesitate.
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