04 September 2023 , 22:00
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The Philadelphia Eagles knew they were taking a risk when they selected Jalen Carter in the 2023 NFL Draft - and it was almost a pick that they did not make.
Coming into the draft, Carter was seen as arguab;l the class' most talented player - fresh from his role a the star man on a Georgia team that won two National Championships.
The defensive tackle possessed the rare ability to rush the passer from the interior, while being a dominant run-defender with his huge frame, strength and quickness.
However, Carter's profile had been littered with red flags - from his widely reported attitude issues, poor effort in practice sessions and showing up to his NFL pro-day overweight - teams were put off the player despite his dominant performances.
Just a few months before the draft, Carter was said to be at the scene of a fatal crash on January 15, which led to the death of Georgia football staff member Chandler LeCroy and team-mate Devin Willock. Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation, handed a $1,000 fine and order to serve 80 hours of community service after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.
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Carter could not have had a worse draft process, with several teams doing their due diligence and clearly being put off by his actions. But the Eagles continued to ask questions.
However, when the team approached his former coaches at Georgia, many of them did not give a positive review - even berating his practice habits and attitude around the team, ESPN have reported.
Jalen Carter waiting to be draftedIn one incident, Carter had punched his Georgia teammate Quay Walker, now of the Green Bay Packers, in the face in what was described as a 'knockout punch'. Several reports elsewhere emerged that Carter barely put any effort into his practice sessions - while bragging about how good he would be on a gameday.
This led to him becoming fatigued, admitting that he would be tired in games and would take himself out of plays.
The Eagles continued to have conversations with Carter, his representatives and some of his former teammates who are now on the team, and even on the night of the draft were said to uncomfortable by selecting him.
The Seattle Seahawks were the first team who had met with Carter, but passed on him with the fifth overall draft pick, with four other teams not taking him - as he fell to the Eagles at 10th - before they swiftly selected him.
The Eagles eventually selected Carter 10th overallTheir general manager, Howie Roseman spoke glowingly of Carter, while knowing they need to create an environment for him to succeed. He said: "I think when we got to know Jalen, we just felt like here's a kid that he does love football. Obviously, he's a winner. He won in high school, he won in college.
"We feel like we have really good people in this building. We have really good support staff. We have really good players who are good people. We have really good coaches. We felt like it was a good fit for us."
So far, Carter has looked as projected in preseason being a dominant force on the line for the Eagles. He is projected to be a starting player for the team - who will hope to steer him on the right path.