One of the most dominant defensive players this year, Jalen Carter has been hyped as one of the premier talents in this stacked draft class, can he hold that momentum going into the 2023 NFL draft?
Here is everything you need to know about the Bulldog’s star defender:
Vitals
Height: 6-3
Weight: 314 pounds
Class: Junior
Strengths
It would be hard to get the full story about Jalen Carter from the stats page as with many other players, but it feels like his six career sacks really do not do him any justice in just how skilled he is. The majority of my time watching film of Carter was him in the backfield of the opposing team, quickly defeating double teams with elite switch and burst for an interior defensive lineman. He uses a rare combination of burst and strength to quickly move offensive linemen out of the way, splitting them with ease and immediately putting pressure into the quarterback’s face or disrupting a run play.
Carter has a rare presence in run defense, as normal men with his size and agility do not necessarily transition that pass rush skillset into the run game but he has zero issues with that. That same ability to split offensive linemen shows up in run defense, where he is patient in waiting for a block before bursting down into a running lane or using that twitch to shift his weight and adjust to the run fit. It is hard to find film of him being pushed off the ball by just about anyone, and the balance he plays with is just as much as a gift as the pressure he provides from the front.
His combined skills and performance were a big part of the absolutely dominant season Georgia experienced, and he was at times the best player on the field loaded with talent. He was an anchor on a loaded defensive front, and it is easy to see why teams double-teamed him on nearly every single play, he simply cannot be left unaccounted for or he will wreck your entire game script.
Weaknesses
As crazy as it is to think, Jalen Carter is far from fully developed and there is a level of refinement that will happen going into the next level. His pass rush toolbox is limited and he has mostly relied on his immense physical talent to get the job done, and while that has worked at the collegiate level, it will certainly be a lot harder to be quite so dominant without some serious work and polish to his game. Whichever set of defensive coaches get him will be excited to teach someone as gifted as Carter, and be able to mold him into one of the best defensive linemen in the game should he take it all in.
Projection
Jalen Carter is a dominant player at a much needed position in the NFL as an interior pass rusher, he is the most physically gifted defensive lineman in this class and his dominance will almost surely transition into the next level with proper coaching. He is a day one starter and can be a disruptive force right away for whatever team gets lucky enough to grab this physical force of nature.
Projection: Top 5 Pick
