Things are heating up between Bears and top draft prospect
Things are getting pretty serious between the Chicago Bears and one of the most talented prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is visiting with the Bears on Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Carter has already visited with the Philadelphia Eagles, but his agent Drew Rosenhaus isn’t meeting with just […]
Things are getting pretty serious between the Chicago Bears and one of the most talented prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class.
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is visiting with the Bears on Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Carter has already visited with the Philadelphia Eagles, but his agent Drew Rosenhaus isn’t meeting with just anybody.
“I’m confident Jalen will go in the top 10,” Rosenhaus said via Schefter. “He’s a good person, a family man, loves football and is a generational talent.”
While there is no question about Carter’s abilities on the football field, he’s had a troubling few months off of it. Carter pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing stemming from an incident on Jan 15 in which his teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy lost their lives after allegedly racing Carter’s SUV.
If that wasn’t enough to quiet his draft buzz, Carter looked out of shape and unprepared for drill work at Georgia’s Pro Day.
Poles was asked about the idea of drafting Carter, but stopped short of fully endorsing the idea.
“We’re at a better place (to draft a player with character concerns),” Poles told Adam Hoge. “I think taking the time here to get to know the guys in the locker room and understanding the maturity level there. But at the same time we also want to be careful, because we’re still young and impressionable.
“So I think making sure that we continue to bring a good core group in is important. Maybe down the road you want to take a risk like that, I think the locker room begins to run itself so you can take some chances. But right now we need both, we need talent, but at the same time I’m still going to be a little bit cautious of bringing in the wrong type of person.”
Carter was thought of as a No. 1 overall pick upon the conclusion of the college football season. In 2022, Carter registered 18 tackles, seven assists with 20 stops. He forced 25 quarterback pressures, 17 QB hurries, five QB hits, and three sacks.
There is no question that Carter is a top-five talent in this draft class. However his off of the field concerns coupled with an expected run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft could result in a slip.
If Carter is available when the Bears go on the clock, general manager Ryan Poles could walk away with the steal of the draft. Hopefully Chicago can get clarity on Carter’s recent issues and ensure he’s a player worth selecting at No. 9 overall.
