Divisive defender may not get past Lions in NFL Draft

It appears Georgia Bulldogs star defensive tackle Jalen Carter has at least one noteworthy fan among NFL executives ahead of the upcoming draft.

"He came in, and he did a nice job," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said about the team's Monday visit with Carter, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. "Again, it's always case by case. He came in, we enjoyed our time with him, he did a nice job. I'll say even after he left his visit, I felt better about him."

Carter's draft stock continues to generate headlines a week before the opening night of the draft. While he's arguably the most talented defensive star of his class, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing last month in connection with a fatal car crash that occurred in January. He then weighed in at Georgia's pro day nine pounds heavier than he was at the combine and subsequently performed poorly during positional drills.

It was reported earlier this month that "at least a couple" of teams have removed Carter from their draft boards. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus has made it known on multiple occasions he expects Carter will be a top-10 pick.

The Lions possess the No. 6 and No. 18 overall selections. 

Holmes said during Thursday's news conference he will speak with team owner Sheila Ford Hamp about potentially drafting somebody who could be a controversial figure. 

"If we go that route of acquiring a player that may stir some headlines, yeah, you definitely want to make sure that she's aware, and that's kind of how we always ran our process and our approach," Holmes explained. "...Obviously, you wouldn't do anything to compromise our culture or the integrity or put her in a bad spot or the organization in a bad spot, but we definitely make sure all things are communicated with her, especially when it comes to that kind of stuff."

As of late Thursday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Lions as second behind only the Chicago Bears (+300) at +350 odds among the betting favorites to draft Carter.