It was only three words, but it was three very intriguing words.
John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia asked the Georgia superstar defensive tackle on Wednesday if he thought the Eagles would select him on Thursday:
“I believe it,” he said.
Jalen Carter and several other likely top-10 draft picks were at Central High School in Kansas City on Wednesday for a football clinic with local kids, and Carter took the time to speak with Clark about Eagles interest. for him.
And his interest in the Eagles.
Carter, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle, made only a handful of visits before the draft, but he was at NovaCare in late March or early April and left only positive vibes.
“It was very good,” he said. “I like the landscape. I like the d-line coach, the GM I like everyone. The head coach too. A very cool guy.
The big question with Carter isn’t his ability – it’s off the charts. But he was charged with reckless driving following an incident in Athens in January in which a Georgia teammate and scout in another vehicle were killed, and it’s a safe bet that many conversations that Carter had with the NovaCare Complex Eagles were involved. this incident and its character.
“It wasn’t really what I got out of it, it was really the coaches who got to know my personality and got to know the guy that I am,” he said. “I feel like they took a lot out of the meeting just to get to know me and stuff like that.”
Imagine Carter lining up next to Jordan Davis in the heart of the Eagles defensive line?
Carter certainly imagined it.
“That would be crazy,” he said Wednesday. “Jordan is one of my role models. He’s one of the guys that got me to Georgia and, you know, if I can get into the league and get drafted by Philly and play with him, that would be great. .
Carter and Davis were teammates in Georgia’s top-ranked defense, leading the Bulldogs to the 2021 national championship team.
The Eagles made Davis the 13th pick in last year’s draft, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they selected Carter on Thursday, either at No. 10 or with a trade.
“I feel like he just taught me how to be a man,” Carter said of Davis. “Take it seriously. He also taught me a lot about football.
The Eagles are the first team with a top-10 pick after a Super Bowl season in 31 years, since the Washington Football Team had the fourth pick in 1992. They selected Desmond Howard, who never been a catcher but was an elite punt returner and Super Bowl MVP with the Packers in 1996.
“I know, it’s crazy, it really surprised me,” he said. “It would be crazy (come to the Eagles). And then they also had Nakobe Dean. He was one of the leaders of the 2021 group and I admire this guy a lot. So just having him with Jordan Davis would be crazy.
What should Eagles fans expect from Dean next year as he likely enters the starting lineup?
“They should expect the best,” he said. “You know, he did so much work. I was just proud of him seeing what he did for Georgia and that really motivated me to get where I am.
In 2021, Georgia set a modern BCS/Division 1 record by allowing just 6.9 points per game. The Eagles already have two starters on this defense.
Imagine if they had a third?
“It would be great if they had me,” Carter said with a big smile.