NFL fans expect award-winning season for Eagles rookie
NFL fans have high expectations for Philadephia Eagles' rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter. According to NFL on Fox, fans voted that Carter will win 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year. The University of Georgia product was drafted by Philly in the first round of this year's draft and has made the college-to-NFL transition look easy, […]
NFL fans have high expectations for Philadephia Eagles' rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
According to NFL on Fox, fans voted that Carter will win 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The University of Georgia product was drafted by Philly in the first round of this year's draft and has made the college-to-NFL transition look easy, according to multiple reports.
Carter was a key player on the Bulldogs' defensive unit that won back-to-back National Championships. In three seasons at Georgia, he logged six career sacks, 18.5 career tackles for loss and 83 career total tackles.
How Carter Won Over NFL Fans
One preseason rep is all it took for Carter to officially win over NFL fans.
He played just two snaps in the Eagles' preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, but it was the first snap that he stole the hearts of many as he moved swiftly past his former Georgia teammate, Ben Cleveland, to get to quarterback Josh Johnson.
Sure, he had an advantage going against Cleveland and knowing his weaknesses, however recording a QB hit on your first-ever NFL snap is certainly enough to get excited about–unless you're Eagles' head coach Nick Siriani.
"He is working hard every day, and he's had some really nice plays," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said on Carter's performance. "He's very talented, and he's just got to keep working. He still has yet to make a play in the NFL, so he's just got to put his head down and work.
"But he's put some nice practices back-to-back – back-to-back-to-back, actually, so he's just got put his head down and keep working."
How Carter Convinced Philly to Draft Him
It would have been silly to ever question Carter's on-field talents coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, however, it was his off-field decisions that sparked concern for all 32 NFL teams.
Carter's draft stock dropped significantly after he was arrested for his involvement in a car crash that killed his fellow Georgia teammate, Devin Willock, and recruiting analyst, Chandler LeCroy on Jan. 15.
His talents no longer mattered. Now, it was who he was as a person that NFL coaches and executives cared more about.
And with little help from Georgia coaches, Carter had a lot of convincing to do.
ESPN's Tom McManus recently revealed the "green light" that persuaded the Eagles to trade up and draft Carter at No. 9 overall:
With uncertainty swirling about whether the Eagles were comfortable, Carter's camp got proactive. Carter placed calls to multiple top-level Eagles executives on the doorstep of the draft, per sources, including Roseman, to assure them they would get the best version of him and would not regret taking a chance.
Those calls were the final pieces to a puzzle the Eagles had spent months trying to put together. Tom McManus, ESPN
The Eagles originally had the 10th overall pick, but took action to trade up with the Chicago Bears to ensure that they would get Carter.
You can watch Carter's first "real" NFL debut when the Eagles face the Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 10.
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Featured image by Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
