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Paul Finebaum weighs in on how new legal troubles could impact Jalen Carter's NFL Draft stock

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra03/02/23SamraSource
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Paul Finebaum weighed in regarding Jalen Carter‘s whirlwind 24 hours on Thursday.

The former Georgia star — who has been projected as high as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — left the 2023 NFL Combine and turned himself in for alleged reckless driving and racing in the fatal wreck of his former Bulldogs teammate Devin Willock after being issued an arrest warrant. 

As Carter returned to Indianapolis, Finebaum gave his opinion on how it could affect his draft stock on ESPN’s First Take.

“Number one, how does the legal end of this case end? And most importantly, and it may be going on as we speak, how Jalen Carter handles himself in the conversations today with NFL people, and later when they come to campus,” began Finebaum. “I think we all agree. … We’re talking about a very serious and terrible tragedy here. It seems ridiculous to move from that to whether or not his draft stock is impacted. That is the question right now for NFL people.

“I will say this about Jalen Carter until yesterday, he had an impeccable reputation. There was a report that came out earlier this year by Todd McShay that there were some character issues. I went to numerous people in Athens and around college football, and quite frankly I could not find anyone to contribute to that report. I could find any players who privately would say that. In fact, all I heard was to the contrary about how well he has handled himself, how liked he has been by almost everyone in that community. That doesn’t mitigate anything that we now know, but I think it will be a critical factor moving forward for him to determine whether he goes as high as No. 1, or falls dramatically. … It is worth repeating, he is not projected No. 1, but almost everyone that you talk to in NFL circles will say this, he is the most talented athlete in the draft. There are tremendous stakes attributes to what this conversation, and how this conversation is going right now.”

Time will tell what happens regarding Jalen Carter’s standing with NFL franchises, but he’s gone from sure-fire top pick to true wild card in an unprecedented turn of events.