The Philadelphia Eagles stocked up again on the defensive line in the 2023 NFL Draft. They selected highly-touted prospect Jalen Carter number nine overall. Carter joins a long line of Eagles defensive line first-round picks. They take high stock in that position and are hoping Carter can live up to the hype of being “the best overall 2023 draft prospect.” Early returns are promising, as Carter is impressing early in Eagles OTAs.
Jalen Carter Impressing Early In Philadelphia Eagles OTAs
The Eagles have begun their off-season workout programs and held a portion of practice open to the media this past week. This is the first opportunity for anyone to see what the 2023 Eagles squad will look like. All eyes have been on the rookies, who are standing out amongst the crowd. Jalen Carter reportedly broke a blocking sled during the first weekend of rookie camp, per Eagles insider Dave Spadaro. Spadaro spoke highly of Carter stating he has, “Just incredible natural strength.”
One player that is excited to play alongside Carter again is his former teammate at Georgia, Jordan Davis. Davis said, “That’s my brother. It’s not like a mentor-mentee role, but it is more like a brotherhood.” Davis is so stoked to play with Carter that he said they are going to “get freaky” on the field together.
Jordan Davis to Jalen Carter: Let's get freaky. https://t.co/E5CYJrNwcS
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 2, 2023
Davis has been taking on a mentorship role with the defensive rookies stating, “I know what it’s like to be a rookie. So I know how it is when the walls are closing in. Hey, you just need to escape. So I offer my apartment. I offer a ride if they need to go somewhere or they want to get something to eat.” It is a good sign for the Eagles that he is willing to do this, and an even better sign for Carter who might need some guidance early in his career.
Coming out of Georgia, many believed Carter was the best overall player in the 2023 NFL draft. Unfortunately, he slipped in the draft due to off-the-field issues. Fortunately for the Eagles, Carter was available and they could not pass up on him. The Eagles moved up one spot from the 10th pick and selected Carter at number nine. Carter joins a stacked defensive line that led the NFL in sacks last season, with 70. The next closest team was the Kansas City Chiefs with 55 sacks.
Carter was a stud on a historic Georgia defense. In three seasons, he totaled 83 tackles, 18.5 of them for a loss. He added six sacks to that resume, all of them coming in the last two seasons. Georgia’s defense has been all world the past two seasons. In 2021, Georgia became one of the best in college football history after holding teams to just 10.2 points per game. In that season, the Bulldogs would capture their first national championship in 41 years. They would follow that outstanding performance with another exceptional season, winning their second straight national championship. Those two Georgia defenses produced seven first-round picks, and Carter might be the best of the bunch.
The Eagles hope to get the most out of Carter who has all the talent in the world. They will do everything they can including pairing him up with four of his college teammates, all on the defensive side. First-round pick Jordan Davis a defensive tackle, first-round pick Nolan Smith an edge rusher, third-round pick Kelee Ringo cornerback, and third-round pick Nakobe Dean linebacker. Carter has to prove he was worth the risk the Eagles took on him. However, early signs are extremely positive.
Main Image: Chris Kwiecinski / USA TODAY NETWORK
