NFL Draft: Eagles trade up to select Georgia star DT Jalen Carter at No. 9 overall
The draft board fell exactly how the Eagles wanted, allowing them to secure their top prospect.
The Eagles traded the No. 10 overall pick and a 2024 fourth-rounder to trade up to No. 9 and select Georgia DT Jalen Carter.
With the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 @NFLDraft, the @Eagles select Jalen Carter!@NewEraCap | #FlyEaglesFly
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
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Philly’s defensive line was a major strength last season, and the Eagles were highly motivated to pair Carter with his former teammate Jordan Davis. Once Carter fell past Seattle, GM Howie Roseman was aggressive in trading up ahead of Chicago.
Carter was the consensus No. 1 overall player in the draft before legal issues and maturity questions left teams skeptical about his transition to the pros. However, he was arguably the most dominant player on Georgia’s championship defense, and Philadephia has done enough research to feel comfortable with the pick.
“Carter is a top-three player and arguably the best prospect in the 2023 class. His raw athleticism and physical strength are a dangerous combination for blockers to handle. The way Smart used Carter is not how I envision an NFL defensive coordinator deploying him.
Carter is a day-one starter and his ceiling is very high. Iron out some of the technical wrinkles in his game and this young man can skyrocket in the NFL as a disruptive force on the defensive line.” — via The Draft Network
Carter’s the kind of defensive presence that can wreck an entire game and of the potential destinations, Philadelphia’s well-established culture of winning and accountability will likely serve him best.
The First-team All-American racked up 18.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks over his three years at Georgia.
“It would be crazy,” Carter said NBC10 Philadelphia’s John Clark before the draft.” Jordan [Davis] is one of my role models. He’s one of the guys who got me to Georgia. It would be awesome.”
The Eagles add another dominant piece to their defensive line in Jalen Carter #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/SYNu6bxFIH
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 28, 2023
Mandatory Credit: Getty Images
