Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is visiting the Chicago Bears on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which marks his second visit after meeting with the Eagles.
While Carter was once thought to be a top-four selection, his draft stock has plummeted after his off-field issues and poor pro day performance.
It’s those very reasons why some NFL experts believe Carter could fall to the Bears at No. 9. But the question becomes: Would Chicago take a risk on Carter?
General manager Ryan Poles addressed the topic during the NFL owners meetings last week, where he seemed to indicate the direction the team is leaning.
“We’re at a better place (to draft a player with character concerns),” Poles said via Adam Hoge. “I think taking the time here to get to know the guys in the locker room and understanding the maturity level there. But at the same time we also want to be careful, because we’re still young and impressionable.
“So I think making sure that we continue to bring a good core group in is important. Maybe down the road you want to take a risk like that, I think the locker room begins to run itself so you can take some chances. But right now we need both, we need talent, but at the same time I’m still going to be a little bit cautious of bringing in the wrong type of person.”
It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for Carter. But Poles and his staff are going to do their due diligence on Carter to determine whether or not he’s someone worth taking a risk on.
Still, the Bears are probably in a better position to go with a safe bet, which would likely be an offensive tackle in Paris Johnson Jr. or Peter Skoronski.
Drew Rosenhaus, Carter’s agent, said that he will only visit with teams with a top-10 pick.
“I’m confident Jalen will go in the top 10,” Rosenhaus said, via Schefter. “He’s a good person, a family man, loves football and is a generational talent.”
There’s no denying that Carter would immediately be the best defensive lineman on the Bears, if drafted. He’s everything Matt Eberflus is looking for in a disruptive 3-technique and could be a cornerstone on defense.
But we’ve also seen how important character is for Chicago when making these decisions. This is an important visit for the Bears, where Poles, Eberflus and staff will get a chance to know Carter the person and determine whether he’d be worth the risk.
