Jalen Carter knows his off-season hasn’t gone well. He was involved in a street racing incident that saw two people get killed. Then he showed up to his pro day at Georgia nine pounds overweight. It fed into the lingering concerns that the defensive tackle has work ethic issues. Not to mention the obvious maturity questions. Yet the young man remains confident things will work out. He isn’t even taking interviews with teams outside the top 10. Either he’s been told he won’t get past a certain point, or he is in denial.
Rumors have surfaced that GM Ryan Poles is prepared to take him if Carter gets to the #9 spot on April 27th. It surprised lots of people to hear that. Chicago’s recent track record is to avoid players with character question marks. However, it appears Poles is willing to take the risk if the talent is worth it. There is no denying Carter has All-Pro potential and is a perfect fit for Matt Eberflus’ defense. What nobody knows is whether the Bulldogs standout will get that far.
Beat writer Courtney Cronin talked about it on ESPN 1000. She, for one, believes the buzz is real. The Bears are absolutely prepared to make that pick if given a chance. It’s only a matter of Carter being there. Based on what she’s heard, there are two teams to watch.
Jalen Carter is likely home free if he gets past #6.
Seattle (#5) and Detroit (#6) feel like two teams well-positioned to take the gamble. Head coach Pete Carroll has taken risks on character before. Sometimes he’s been burned (Malik McDowell), but other times he was rewarded (Bruce Irvin). Carter is a great fit for that Seahawks’ defense. However, the recent arrival of Dre’Mont Jones makes you wonder if they won’t feel the need to take that risk, instead focusing on edge rush help. As for Detroit, they have two quality edge rushers in Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston. They might feel an interior presence like Carter would bring everything together. On the other hand, they need help at cornerback even more.
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If Jalen Carter gets past that point, it feels unlikely either the Raiders (#7) or Falcons (#8) will take him. Las Vegas also needs corner help and may be in play for a quarterback. Atlanta still has Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett in the middle and badly needs an edge rusher. Anything is possible. Still, if Carter gets to #7, the odds of him reaching the Bears at #9 significantly increase.
