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Jalen Carter inks rookie deal with Philadelphia, becomes first 2023 1st-round pick to do so

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe05/04/23JakeMRowe
2023 NFL Draft - Round 1
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 27: (L-R) Jalen Carter poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected ninth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter didn’t waste much time when it came to signing his four-year rookie contract with Philadelphia. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Carter’s four-year deal is fully guaranteed and it’s worth $21,806,184.

Since the Apopka, Fla. native is a first-round pick, the Eagles will have the chance to pick up a fifth-year option. Philadelphia took Carter with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They traded up from No. 10 to make the pick.

The Eagles went on to select three total Bulldogs in the 2023 NFL Draft, including outside linebacker Nolan Smith with the No. 30 overall pick and cornerback Kelee Ringo early in the fourth round. Philadelphia drafted two Georgia players in the 2022 NFL Draft, Jordan Davis in the first round and Nakobe Dean in the third.

Carter was once viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That went out the window when Carolina traded into the No. 1 spot with a heavy need at quarterback, but Carter had a rocky, at best, pre-draft process.

He was brought up on charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with the accident that took the lives of Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy. Those charges were announced on the first day of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and Carter had to leave Indianapolis to turn himself in. He was booked, posted bond, and returned to the combine to meet with NFL executives.

Then, when Carter had a chance to work out for scouts at Georgia’s Pro Day, he showed up nine pounds heavier than at the combine and was unable to finish the drill work. Still, the Eagles did the homework and felt confident enough to make him a top-10 pick.

“Obviously, he’s (Carter) had a tough spring and a tragic loss of life in Georgia, and our hearts go out to the families of those who lost people in that accident,” Roseman said on ESPN on Saturday. “For us, it was a full process on Jalen (Carter) and we feel very comfortable that he can have success in Philly. We don’t put that on our Georgia players. He’s our responsibility. We’re going to rally around him. We think he’s a tremendous talent, a good person. Again, young guy.

“We talk all the time, these guys, we bring them in here, we have to develop them. We can’t just ask them to come on the field and play. We’ve got to develop them on and off the field. That’s our responsibility. We have a great staff here that takes that part of the job really seriously, so we’ll really around him and give him the support that he needs to be a great player on the field and the best person he can be off the field.”

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