Jalen Carter’s slide is Eagles’ gain as Philadelphia reloads on defense

Ralph Vacchiano

NFC East Reporter

The Philadelphia Eagles had best pass rush in the NFL last season by a pretty wide margin and the second-best defense overall. It was a big reason why they dominated their way to the NFC championship.

And now, the rich have gotten a little richer.

The Eagles ended up with a player that some NFL scouts and personnel thought was the best defensive player in the entire 2023 NFL Draft — Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. And it cost them almost nothing to move up slightly to get him. They sent just a 2024 fourth-round pick to Chicago to move from 10th to ninth to get the player they seemed to be targeting all along.

In fact, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman wanted Carter so much that according to an NFL source they called the Seattle Seahawks about moving up to 5 to get him. They tried again, the source said, with the Atlanta Falcons at 8. When the explosive and feisty 6-foot-3, 314-pounder was still there at 9, they called the Chicago Bears and were finally able to close the deal.

And what a brilliant and cheap deal it is for them. The biggest piece of their defensive puzzle they lost in the offseason was when defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who had 11 sacks, signed with the San Francisco 49ers. That left the Eagles hoping they could plug that hole with 32-year-old Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis, the other Georgia defensive tackle they traded up to take in the first round last year.

Adding Carter to that mix, should send shivers down the spines of NFC quarterbacks. He was the total package at Georgia — a strong run-stopper and an incredibly disruptive pass rusher. Some NFL scouts said he was the best player on the Georgia defense a year ago, too — back when the Eagles were scouting Davis.

And Carter, who once was thought to be in contention to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, will arrive in Philadelphia with a chip on his shoulder. Asked on ESPN what he told the Eagles when they called him on Thursday night, Carter said: “I told them they got the best player in the draft.”

He might be right. Of course, there’s a reason a player like him slipped all the way to 9. Look no further than his involvement in a deadly car wreck back in January, which led to him being charged with racing and reckless driving — two misdemeanors in Georgia. He was reportedly caught lying to police about his involvement in that crash. According to some NFL sources, there are other questions about his character and maturity as well.

But the Eagles firmly believe that they are perfectly suited to handle players with issues, thanks to a veteran-laden team with a near-championship pedigree. They were able to bring their entire “Core Four” back this offseason, including veteran defenders Cox and Brandon Graham. Those are two strong characters for Carter to learn from. And there are others on defense too, like corners James Bradberry and Darius Slay.

If the Eagles are right, and Carter doesn’t become troublesome, he’s going to cause a lot of problems for the rest of the league. This is a team that even before the draft had a Super Bowl-ready roster. They should never be in position to get add a player like Carter in the draft.

But they owned the 10th pick courtesy of some draft-day maneuvering with the New Orleans Saints a year ago. And the always-aggressive Roseman was never going to be content to just sit at 10 and wait to see who was there. Carter’s issues presented him an opportunity to go up and get him if he started sliding.

That’s what good GMs do. And as usual, that’s what Roseman did.

And now, the Eagles are back in position to dominate again. They will return almost every piece of the NFL’s No. 3 offense, and now they’ve plugged their biggest hole on defense too. That front line that dominated last year, that pass rush that produced 70 sacks, now has a chance to be even better.

And the Eagles are starting to look like a team that will be a Super Bowl contender for years.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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