When you are the No. 9 pick in the NFL draft, the pressure can be enormous for any player. When you’re tasked with replacing Fletcher Cox as the face of the Eagles’ defensive line positions, the pressure rises to another level.
Through the first nine weeks, Carter generated 29 pressures (tied for eighth in the league among interior defensive linemen), according to Pro Football Focus, including four sacks and 20 hurries.
Carter hit the proverbial rookie wall, and his production decreased down the stretch. Now, the player known as Breadman is looking to become an All-Pro, and he told the media that “he’s prepared to carry the enormous weight on his shoulders.”
Jalen Carter: “I got a lot on my shoulder, and I’m ready to step up to the plate and show what I can do.”#Eagles @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/J52Gm6bk3H
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) September 3, 2024
Carter finished his rookie year with 6.0 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown) in 16 regular-season games.
Still, Carter started just one game and played 51 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, but the ninth overall pick in the 2023 Draft was third on the team in sacks and fifth among all rookies.
