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The Philadelphia Eagles may well have just struck gold with rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
But that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who was paying attention.
Carter entered the 2022 college football season as one of the elite prospects in the nation when it came to the 2023 NFL Draft.
And while inconsistent play and questions about effort level raised questions, there was never any doubt about the Georgia Bulldogs’ defensive tackle’s ability to absolutely wreck a game.
Unfortunately, Carter was involved in an fatal accident following the season that saw teammate Devin Willock and Georgia staffer LeCroy pass away while street racing with Carter.
The incident also caused Carter to fall down draft boards.
But nobody could have imagined just how far he would fall.
Once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, Carter fell all the way to the Eagles at No. 9.
It seemed to good to be true for Philadelphia and its fans. Carter was still an elite talent, and he was a perfect fit in Philadelphia. He joined a number of former Georgia teammates and got to learn from potential hall of famer, Fletcher Cox.
Unsurprisingly, Carter hit the ground running, impressing his Eagles’ teammates.
But how would he fare once the games start to matter?
Well, we got the answer to that question on Sunday. And the answer seems to be: pretty, pretty, pretty good.
Jalen Carter in NFL debut:
– 1 sack
– 7 QB pressures
– An absurd 32 % pass rush win rateMost pressures by any DT week 1, most pressures by any rookie DT in a game in over 5 years.
TAKE A BOW!#Eagles pic.twitter.com/pr7s5dcsQ6
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) September 11, 2023
Carter was everywhere in Philadelphia’s Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots. He had seven quarterback pressures, the most of defensive tackle in the league, and notched a huge sack late in the game to help seal the victory.
Jalen Carter wrecked havoc whenever he was in the game, but his biggest moment was the sack on the last drive.
Collapsed the pocket and got the sack.
Immediate impact and very promising start to his career.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/UunlWHx0sY
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) September 10, 2023
Carter looks like a forced to be reckoned with for years to come. And the general managers who passed him up may need to update their resumes in the near future.
8 teams passed on this guy https://t.co/3XEdvRMCPP
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) September 11, 2023
NFL GMs to Jalen Carter https://t.co/E39CHUUNPt pic.twitter.com/eitUvzlWGs
— The Art Major (@kmbrookart) August 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/JohnnyWalsh__/status/1701207953359954053?s=20
And the bears didn’t draft him…. https://t.co/Wryqdmyrcm
— Sub To My YT 🚀 (@WanoGodly) September 11, 2023
Maybe one day NFL teams will catch on. But it appears today is not that day.