Back in early March, news dropped about Jalen Carter, a top prospect in the upcoming NFL draft, and his involvement in a fatal crash that killed one of his Georgia teammates and a recruiting staffer.
Carter left the NFL combine in early March to attend to the warrant out for his arrest in Athens. He was charged with reckless driving and racing in connection with the crash.
Since hearing of the news, NFL teams have begun to take the incident into account with his NFL draft stock.
Some, like his agent Drew Rosenhaus, believe he won’t fall out of the top-10 picks. Others, like Carter, believe the incident will have at least a slight effect on his draft position.
“Yeah, I feel like it’s gonna matter a little bit,” Carter said to HBO’s Jon Frankel. “Because, you know, NFL teams look deep into your life. But it could’ve been something I did back in elementary [school]. You know, I’m pretty sure they’d know. So you know, this coming out at the time it did come out I’m pretty sure is going to affect a little bit.”
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Reports have flurried about where Carter will ultimately land in the draft. Once thought of as the potential top pick in the draft, Bears pundits were once skeptical of trading down and missing out on the three-technique defensive tackle.
Now, it’s become more of a question of morality and motivation for teams who wish to draft him.
The Bears are reportedly one of those teams. At No. 9, where the Bears are slated to draft in the first round, it’s difficult to pass on a potential generational talent for a marquee, unsatisfied position of their defense.
Carter said “a couple teams asked me about it” during the pre-draft process, “but they really didn’t get too in-depth about the accident.”
“They just wanted to hear my side and that was it,” Carter said.
Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus are on record in multiple instances insisting on the importance of a player’s character and love of football as traits they prioritize in their prospects. Their interest in Carter has started to put their draft values in question.
Will the Bears pull the trigger on Carter if he’s available at the No. 9 pick?
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