Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter on stage after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles ninth overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles move up in draft to snag best defensive player in 2023 class

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Jason Burgos | Last updated 4/27/23

Rumors swirled heading into Thursday night that the Philadelphia Eagles would take Jalen Carter if he fell to them at No. 10, but the NFC champions weren’t willing to wait and moved up a spot to take the player many saw as the best defensive talent in the 2023 NFL Draft class.

Entering February, Carter was seen as the best overall prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the Chicago Bears owning the top overall pick at the time, some speculated he could be the No. 1 selection on night one of the event. However, that all changed in March.

In the first days of this year’s NFL combine, a warrant was issued for the 23-year-old old in Georgia after an investigation found that the recollection he gave to police about a fatal crash that killed a teammate and a Georgia staffer days after winning the national championship wasn’t true. Carter eventually left the combine to turn himself in and agreed to a misdemeanor plea deal.

That, along with a horrid showing at his pro day, saw the athlete many viewed as the top selection in the event fall to the back end of the top 10 in many projections. That development brought rumblings that the Eagles would not hesitate to take action if Carter was available at pick 10.

Carter was still available when pick No. 9 went on the clock, and the Eagles decided they could not take the risk and traded up to get the most gifted defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft class.

Jalen Carter was a dominant force and an anchor for the best defense in college football over the last two seasons. Playing in the best conference in the country, he was a key part of why Georgia was able to remain an elite team as he earned SEC second-team honors in 2021, then conference and national first-team honors in 2022.

What makes Carter such a great get for the Eagles beyond his massive upside is that he may fill a massive hole the team had coming into the night. Maintaining a championship team is always difficult in the age of salary caps, and the team took a major hit in 2023 NFL free agency when they lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, the Eagles may have a player who could end up being just as good and at a far cheaper rate. A team that had one of the best defenses in the league last season may not lose much of a step in 2023 after adding Carter.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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