Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter is a finalist for the AP 2023-24 Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
And at the NFL Honors in Las Vegas on Thursday night, we'll find out if he wins.
The Eagles' 2023 former first-round pick is among four other finalists for the award including Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner, and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Will Carter win the DROY award?
It's going to be a close race for this award, however, A to Z Sports' Evan Winter predicts Will Anderson will win this one over Carter and the other three finalists:
"Will Anderson. This was a close race that should ultimately come down to Anderson or Turner, honestly. Turner has a two-sack lead, but Anderson wins in a lot of the advanced areas despite playing just one more pass rush snap than Carter and nearly 70 fewer than Turner. Anderson led both players in total pressures, pass rush productivity, and QB hits and Carter out-edged him in win rate by 1.4%, per PFF. The corners had solid seasons, but nothing as dominant as we've seen in years past and there simply weren't enough splash plays from either guy to warrant the nod," - A to Z Sports' Evan Winter.
Winter also writes that Turner is "a close second," which must leave Carter ranked third on his list.
That's fair given how tragically the Eagles' 2023 season ended and how badly the defense performed down the final stretch, including Carter.
Still, Carter was a beast right out of the gate and he should only excel in his second season with the Eagles under a new defensive staff next fall.
Carter finished his rookie year playing in 16 games, registering 33 total tackles, 6 sacks, 9 QB hits, 8 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a 42-yard touchdown.
You can tune in to CBS at 9 p.m. ET this evening to see which rookie defender ends up winning the prestigious award.
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