The NFL draft can go in many different directions, but it usually becomes easier to predict as it draws closer. For most insiders and experts, the picture is coming into focus regarding the Chicago Bears. Forget the Justin Fields rumors. There are two options on the table almost everybody agrees on. Either GM Ryan Poles will select Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter or he will trade down from the #1 pick with a team seeking a QB. ESPN draft insider Matt Miller clarified the dilemma of this decision. He believes Carter has a chance to be the next Fletcher Cox.
For those who somehow don’t know the name, Cox was the 12th overall pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. Since then, he’s reached six Pro Bowls and collected 65 sacks, establishing himself as one of the best interior pass rushers of his era. He was instrumental in helping the team win the Super Bowl in 2017 and has been the heart and soul of their defense for a decade. Hearing his name mentioned in the same breath as Carter makes it far easier to understand why Poles trading #1 isn’t as easy as it seems.
“Comp: Fletcher Cox
The 2021 Georgia defense had five players selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, and Carter (not eligible in that draft) might have actually been the best defender on the team. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he has great first-step quickness and a powerful frame that can split double teams. Carter battled ankle and knee injuries this season and platooned on a deep Georgia defense last year, but he still accumulated six sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.”
Carter’s similarities to Fletcher Cox go beyond the tape.
Even the production seems to line up. During his last two years at Mississippi State, Cox had 7.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss. That wasn’t bad, but also not prolific for what should be a dominant interior rusher. Carter faces the same questions with six sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss since 2021. The tape shows flashes of absolute domination. He is an athletic freak for his size. Still, the production and health question marks leave some wary of him. The building blocks of a superstar are there. One wishes it was a little more obvious.
If Carter is the next Fletcher Cox, then the Bears don’t need to complicate matters. Take him at #1 and watch him change the identity of the defense. That said, if they have any reservations about such a comparison, then moving down is the smartest thing to do. Maybe they can still snag him a few picks later at #4. Or perhaps they avoid the question entirely by signing a top defensive tackle in free agency. It is moments like this that make it easier to understand how tough Poles’ job is.
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