Daily News | Thumbs up or thumbs down?: Eagles beat writers weigh in on trading up to draft Jalen Carter
In terms of talent, the Eagles may have landed the best overall prospect in this year’s draft at a priority position, and all they had to do was forfeit a 2024 fourth rounder to. The 6-foot-3, 314-pound defensive tackle is an athletic freak who can explode off the ball and also power offensive linemen off their blocks. He is very much in the mold of Fletcher Cox, another three-technique the Eagles traded up for in the draft and who has anchored the D-line for the last 11 years.
The Eagles invested time in researching Carter’s past and if his transgressions were characteristic. Clearly, they believe he was worth the gamble. But the 22-year-old will likely require additional support when joining the organization. Davis and another former Georgia teammate, linebacker Nakobe Dean, could help Carter’s transition into the Eagles’ culture. Cox, defensive end Brandon Graham and many others within the franchise will offer their guidance as well.
He fills one of the team’s most significant needs going into the draft as an interior rusher who can play from multiple alignments. He already has experience working alongside the nose tackle Davis from their shared time at Georgia, and he complements the former first-round pick quite well because of his athleticism. Carter figures to play plenty of snaps as a three-technique in even fronts and out of the 4i-technique on the inside shoulder of the tackle in odd fronts.
The fact that Carter made it all the way to No. 9 in the first place speaks to some teams’ discomfort with him as a prospect, but by the time the Eagles were on the clock, the gap in talent between Carter and the rest of the available prospects was apparent. Trading back may have been a viable option, but when you consider the Eagles’ need for an interior rusher and Carter’s upside to be an impact player and an heir apparent to Cox, it’s hard to argue with the overall logic.
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