Jalen Carter Scouting Report
Does the film make up for the lack of production?
Jalen Carter - DT - Georgia
Carter has the highest ceiling and brightest flashes in the entire class. I’ve seen him compared to Chris Jones, who finished the season with 15.5 sacks and was firmly in the defensive player of the year conversation. I think that’s a valid comp.
One of the coldest moments in football history
Carter is a monster, 6’3 and 300 pounds. He’s one of those guys who looks like he’s from the next generation when you watch him play.
You know how it’s generally accepted that guys now are far better athletes than the guys who played 20-30 years ago? Well, occasionally, there is a prospect who feels like an athlete from 20-30 years in the future. A mutant who shouldn’t be playing with the scrubs from the 2020s. Kyle Pitts felt like that two years ago. The best example of this is Wembanyama in the basketball world. Carter feels like that too.
It’s just different when you watch him. No one that big should be moving that fast off the line, no one that big should be that fluid. He eviscerates guards with quick swim moves that would make some of the top NFL guys blush. He has the strength to just throw lineman off of him like they’re wide receivers. He demands a double team.
He can play multiple spots across the line, and like any Georgia defensive lineman, he plays with good play recognition and pad level.
The issue with him will be stamina. His play style is frenzied. Sometimes it’s like when you play 2k and spam dribble moves, and all of a sudden your fatigue meter starts beeping and your guy gets tired. He plays with such intensity and usually tries a couple different moves when he’s doubled, and it visibly exhausts him. At times, he plays too out of control and slips and falls down.
Quinnen Williams is similar, I think. Williams doesn’t play a huge percentage of the Jets snaps, never has, and that’s been true across multiple coaching staffs. But that means when he’s in, he is well rested and extremely disruptive. Williams finished with 12 sacks, 49 pressures, and 53 tackles playing 65% of the defensive snaps this year. Expect Carter to hit those numbers early in his career.
Sure, Carter doesn’t have elite production. Only six sacks and 18.5 TFLs in his college career. Some will say: “How can you pick that first overall?” and the answer is the tape. Jordan Davis wasn’t very productive, Travon Walker wasn’t very productive, Nolan Smith hasn’t been very productive. No individual player on Georgia’s defense is going to rack up crazy numbers. Not with their depth. Turn on the tape and the talent will jump out at you. This is the best DT prospect we’ll see in a while.
Grade: 7.3 - Future All-Pro - Worthy of 1st Overall Pick
The top 3 picks in this draft have a 2019 vibe with an Elite Edge rusher, Elite IDL prospect, and a Good/Great QB that’s not a top 3 prospect but still very good. Great article all together
Rly fucking hope seattle gets him