Early on in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, Jalen Carter was a presumed top pick.
The cornerstone of the Georgia Bulldogs’ latest national championship triumph, many projected Carter to be a defensive wrecking ball at the next level.
But then the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine came around. While he was preparing to impress teams in Indianapolis, it was reported that Carter was connected to a January car accident that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy and injured OL Warren McClendon and staffer Tory Bowles.
An arrest warrant was subsequently issued for the 21-year-old defensive tackle who Athens police noted may have been street racing in their statement. Carter would later turn himself in and receive two misdemeanor charges before posting bond and returning the combine.
Football is far from the primary concern in a tragedy that saw two people lose their lives, but it remains unclear what effect this incident will have on Carter’s draft stock. After an awful performance at Georgia’s Pro Day on Wednesday, it’s hard not to see Carter inevitably tumbling down consensus draft boards.
According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Carter struggled mightily through basic positional drills and couldn’t finish his overall routine with all 32 teams in attendance. Carter elected not to speak to the press after his day concluded.
It’s not an excellent development for someone who skipped on-field workouts at the Combine. More from ESPN:
“He [Carter] opted to do only position drills and didn’t participate in other aspects of the workout, including the 40-yard dash, cone drills and other physical tests. Carter didn’t finish the position drills because he was cramping up and breathing heavily.”
The videos of someone with legitimate top-five pick aspirations performing drills this poorly won’t convince many teams of his future production.
Working around weighted bags isn’t the same as trying to beat the block of a Pro Bowl guard, but it’s still supposed to be a preview of a prospect’s athletic aptitude. Yet … it might not mean anything once Carter gets the pads on in the NFL.
That said, his very early professional teasers don’t look very explosive or promising:
Idk man lol. pic.twitter.com/bnlO1FHVgG
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 15, 2023
A lot can change between now and Thursday, April 27. NFL teams are notoriously wishy-washy on prospects and seemingly change their minds about the projections on their roster regularly.
But, after his car crash developments, experts like our Christian D’Andrea had already dropped Carter to No. 10 overall in his latest mock draft. This was before a disappointing Pro Day.
Anything is possible, but it certainly feels like Carter will continue to fall down draft boards.
