Every year there’s what I call a “Dilemma Prospect”, and this year it’s Georgia defensive tackle, Jalen Carter. On tape? He’s the best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, and I honestly don’t think it’s close — but just as he was about to take the podium at the Combine it was announced that he was being arrested for reckless driving and racing (he was sentenced to 12 months of probation, 80 hours of community service and pay a fine). The charge was connected to a car accident that killed a Georgia football player and staff member — and while Carter was not deemed responsible for that crash, his connection to it is highly concerning for a player who had off-the-field concerns prior to this arrest.
For the Las Vegas Raiders — an organization still reeling from the car accident involving Henry Ruggs which killed a woman — the questions about whether Carter should even be on their board at all are fair ones. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, it appears as if he may be removed.
IF they’re able to do their research and deem him “draftable”, then things get interesting. Why? Because not only is Carter the best player in the draft, you could argue the position he plays is the single greatest need on the entire Raiders roster. Rarely do those two things align, but if Carter is on the board at No. 7 they would.
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 314 pounds
40-yard-dash: 5.15
Bench Press: NA
Vertical jump: NA
Broad jump: NA
College stats: 83 tackles, 6 sacks, 18.5 TFL, 2 fumbles forced
After all of his legal troubles, Carter attempted to put together a Pro-Day performance at Georgia, and it was a total nightmare. He came into the day heavier than expected, ran slowly, and couldn’t even finish the drills he was expected to. Reasonable for a guy who had a lot of stress to deal with off the field? Or another reason to be concerned about his makeup? More dilemmas.
On tape, however, Carter is a beast. There are not very many plays when he’s not moving a guard or a tackle a few steps backward and forcing a quarterback to throw before he wants to or move off of his spot. Double teams, triple teams — doesn’t matter, he is a game-wrecker that would slot into the Raiders defense about as perfectly as you can imagine.
I mentioned this in my write-up on Will Anderson Jr., but comparing the tape of these two guys was actually more of a contrast than I expected. While Anderson has flashes, Carter is so consistently impactful that it jumps off the screen. Also, despite his size, I felt like Carter’s play-to-play effort — chasing down ball carriers downfield, etc. — was better despite carrying 60+ more pounds on his frame.
VERDICT: PICK
If the off-field stuff checks out (something I obviously have no insight into), then this would be a home run pick. Great talent, positional need, and heck, you might get a guy who is extra motivated to get his crap together at the same time. Honestly, if not for the optics of trading up for a guy with his concerns, I’d consider it. I think Carter is far and away the best player in this draft and I’d even be okay moving up to grab him.
