Jalen Carter The Wrecking Ball: Bears 2023 Draft Scouting Report

The Chicago Bears are just as likely to stay put at #1 as trade down. That is something fans must keep in mind. There is a reason that the pick has only been traded twice since 2001. The price to get it is high, and most teams don’t want to sacrifice the chance to land a potential superstar. GM Ryan Poles will be in a similar situation once he goes on the clock, presuming he doesn’t trade the pick beforehand. Almost everybody has their eyes on Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter if that is the case. He’s viewed as one of the best to come out of college at his position in years. Is he worth #1 overall? Let’s find out.

• Position: DT
• School: Georgia
• Year: Junior
• Height: 6’3
• Weight: 300 lbs

Jalen Carter strengths:

• Freak athlete. Remarkable speed and range for somebody his size.
• Doesn’t lack power. Strong enough to take on double teams and muscle his way through them.
• Plays with good leverage, almost always staying lower than the blocker assigned to him.
• Excellent burst. Can explode out of his stance and shoot through gaps.

This play encapsulates how valuable Carter can be. He explodes out of his stance, and TCU devotes their center and right guard to blocking him. His quickness allowed him to hit the gap with authority, and then his raw power saw him carry two 300 lbs guys into the backfield. That enabled his teammate #99 to loop on a stunt to go unblocked into the quarterback. Having somebody at defensive tackle who can do this makes life hell for the opposing offense.

• Very good at stacking and shedding blockers when using his length and violent hands.
• Able to line up at a variety of spots, including defensive end. Highly versatile.
• Does a good job of taking his opportunities to force turnovers.
• Aggressive mentality. Not afraid to play with nastiness.

Weaknesses:

• Inconsistent snap anticipation. Can get out of his stance late at times.
• Doesn’t always finish well—average instincts at finding the football.
• Lack of production leads to questions about his awareness.
• Needs to be better about consistently using his hands. Too often lets blockers into his body.
• For all his talent, he loses momentum too often if his initial rush stalls.

Pro comparison: Da’Ron Payne

Payne had the same problem Carter does. During his time at Alabama, his productivity never stood out. Many wondered if that was an issue of his ability or how he was used. Time provided it was the latter. Once Washington started utilizing him more as an interior rusher, his mixture of power, quickness and burst turned him into one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. Carter is an even better athlete but with similar questions. Most of his issues are correctable.

Projection: Top 10

From a purely physical perspective, Jalen Carter is the best athlete in this class. Nobody who is 300 lbs should be able to move like he does. His ceiling as a player is Hall-of-Fame-caliber. No joke. However, there are enough inconsistencies on tape to at least give somebody pause about taking him that high. It comes down to how much the Bears trust Matt Eberflus and his staff to get those issues corrected. If they do, he could be on par with what Steve McMichael or Tommie Harris was for this defense.