Eagles DC Sean Desai on Jalen Carter: 'Impressive how much he loves football'
During the 2022 season, defensive lineman Jalen Carter was expected to be a top-three NFL Draft pick. However, largely due to off-field issues, he slid in the first round to where the Philadelphia Eagles were able to land him.
To this point, Carter has been a phenomenal pick for the Eagles, proving himself to be one of the top young defensive players in the game. He’s impressed everyone within the organization, including defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who noted just how much Carter loves football.
“I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but it’s impressive how much he loves football,” Desai said. “He’s like a sponge. He’s asking for feedback. He’s getting coached hard.”
Through five NFL games, Jalen Carter has 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Both of those forced fumbles came in the win over Tampa Bay. He’s done that as an interior defensive lineman, a spot not typically known for producing prolific pass rushers.
Part of why he’s had so much success, according to Desai, is how well he takes to coaching because of his desire to improve.
“And even from his peers, he’s taking a lot of coaching from his peers, and whoever he can feel like he can get information from, a lot of guys are touching him. Coach [Tracy] Rocker obviously is a primary key point. [Fletcher Cox], obviously, has been big. And even [defensive and football operations assistant] Matt Leo has done a tremendous job of pulling him aside and doing things with him, Coach [Jeremiah] Washburn,” Desai said.
“That’s the impressive part. He’s a sponge, wants to keep getting better, keep being a big part of this defense and impacting and he’s taking ownership.”
On Sunday, Jalen Carter will take the field against the New York Jets, looking to make his mark on the game for a sixth straight week.
Jalen Carter not satisfied despite being NFL Rookie of the Year favorite
Through his first five NFL games, Jalen Carter has already become one of the best young defensive players in the game. That’s made him a favorite to become the NFL Rookie of the Year. Still, he’s not satisfied.
“I still got a lot to improve, man. There’s a lot of plays out there where I could have won my rep, but I got blocked that rep. So I just gotta get better every week,” Carter said.
Jalen Carter is on a defense in Philadelphia full of his former Georgia teammates, including Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo. Clearly, he’s already comfortable in his role with the team and now is getting ready to take the next step.