Georgia DT Jalen Carter visits the Bears, but won’t visit any other teams unless they have a top-10 draught pick.
One of the best prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, is only visiting clubs who have one of the top 10 picks in the draught, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Carter, 21, will be in Chicago on Monday, according to a source cited by Rapoport. The Bears previously held the No. 1 overall pick, which they traded to the Carolina Panthers in a massive transaction, moving down to the ninth pick in the process. Georgia DT Jalen Carter visits the Bears, but won’t visit any other teams unless they have a top-10 draught pick.
According to Rapoport, Carter has previously visited with the Eagles, who own the Picks 10 (through the Saints) and 30 in Round 1.
Rosenhaus is willing to set up a pre-draft visit for Carter to a team that trades into the top 10 before the draught, but he has reportedly turned down visit requests from teams selecting outside the top 10.
According to Rapoport, Carter has previously visited with the Eagles, who own the Picks 10 (through the Saints) and 30 in Round 1.
Carter will ultimately be selected in the top 10 according to Rosenhaus, based on the material he has gathered, according to Rapoport. Carter is ranked No. 5 overall on NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s most recent list of the top 50 draught prospects. As Jeremiah notes in his rankings, any team interested in drafting Carter will need to exercise due diligence in looking into off-field issues following Carter’s arrest last month.
As arrest warrants were issued in Athens, Georgia for Carter on suspicion of racing and reckless driving following an investigation into a tragic vehicle accident on January 15, Carter fled the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Although not taking part in on-field activities in Indianapolis, Carter was taken into custody on March 1 after being arrested for the two misdemeanours and released the same day. Carter then returned to the combine.
Carter reportedly weighed 323 pounds at Georgia’s pro day two weeks later, which is nine pounds more than he did at the combine. He also reportedly had trouble working out. A day after the pro day, Carter pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour charges of racing and careless driving. He was given a 12-month probationary period, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service, and a defensive driving course that had been approved by the state in addition to receiving a sentence that included 80 hours of community service.
Carter became a force in 2021, playing on the possibly best defensive line in college football alongside 2022 first-round picks Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt. Carter received first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference recognition following Georgia’s march to a second consecutive national championship last season, despite suffering two in-season injuries. In 2021, Carter was selected to the second team of the SEC.