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- 21-year-old Jalen Carter was booked with reckless driving and racing on March 1
- The Eagles selected the defensive tackle as the No. 9 overall pick Thursday night
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman defended the franchise’s decision to draft embattled Georgia star Jalen Carter, despite his reckless driving charges.
The Eagles selected the national champion-winning defensive tackle as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 Draft, almost two months after he was charged for reckless driving.
The 21-year-old entered into a plea bargain after he was booked with reckless driving and racing on March 1 in relation to the car accident that claimed the lives of his teammate Devin Willock and Bulldogs staffer Chandler LeCroy.
Carter was once projected to be a high first-round pick, but had stumbled after an underwhelming pro day and his guilty plea, seen as a risky choice for some organizations who took him off their boards.
But Roseman defended the team’s pick, insisting the organization had investigated the incident before making the decision.
‘We spent a lot of time investigating the incident around it,’ Roseman said. ‘We talked to Jalen about a variety of things. We’re not going to get into what we talk to our players about. That’s not fair. … But at the end of the day, nobody’s hiding from the fact that a tragic event happened.’
Carter wasn’t outright asked about the incident in a Zoom interview with Philadelphia-area reporters following his selection but was asked how much the Eagles discussed the car crash with him during their pre-draft conversations.
‘They really didn’t ask much about the accident that happened,’ he responded. ‘It was pretty much getting to know me and the love of the game that I have for football, just getting to know my personality and stuff like that.’
However, at a later press conference with Roseman, one reporter suggested that Carter hadn’t ‘come across accountable’ for his involvement in the fatal January 15 car crash.
‘I don’t think that’s fair,’ Roseman said. ‘You want him to talk about an active investigation at that time? At the end of the day, he just got drafted and you’re putting him on the spot.’
‘You’re being overly critical of a kid who’s trying to enjoy the best night of his life,’ he added.
Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni also leaped to the defense of his new defensive lineman, echoing Roseman’s claims that the accusations were unfair.
‘We understand that all these players — they need to be developed,’ Roseman continued. ‘They’re coming into the league at a very young age. They’re not finished products. I think all of us, when we’re 21 or 22, hopefully, have grown a lot from that time.
‘And you just really want to get to know the person and what’s in their heart. And I think when we got to know Jalen, we just felt like here’s a kid that does love football.’
Carter will not serve any jail time after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor related to the fatal January 15 car crash that killed Willock and LeCroy. Instead he received 12 months’ probation, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours community service and a mandatory driving course.
Carter was considered the best interior defensive lineman in this year’s class, but the crash and its aftermath may have played a role in his drop to the NFC champion Eagles.
Carter missed a portion of the scouting combine in Indianapolis while turning himself in to Athens police on the reckless driving charge, and only hurt himself further at last week’s Georgia Pro Day.
Not only had he gained nine pounds since the scouting combine, but he failed to finish several drills and refused to participate in other events.
The Eagles were busy on draft night and surrendered the No. 10 pick to take Carter. They may have gotten a steal if he has no further off-the-field issues. He could end up like Warren Sapp and Randy Moss, who became stars after their draft position slipped.
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