Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter betting favorites Being named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year probably wasn’t all that surprising this time last year.
Carter was expected to be drafted well earlier than last April’s draft due to how disruptive he was in the middle of Georgia’s defensive line, but he was drafted after being charged with a misdemeanor for engaging in a high-speed play. Stocks took a big hit. A car race ended in an accident that killed two members of the Georgia football program. That, combined with questions about his maturity, left him with the No. 9 pick by the Eagles.
Carter’s first five weeks in Philadelphia have shown him not lacking much on the field, and defensive coordinator Sean Desai doesn’t see any lack of work off the field either.
“I don’t know if it’s a surprise or not, but it’s impressive how much he loves football,” Desai said at a press conference Tuesday. “He’s like a sponge. He’s looking for feedback. He’s getting tough coaching. And even from his peers, he’s getting a lot of coaching and anyone he feels he can get information from. Anybody, a lot of guys touch him. Coach. [Tracy] Obviously the locker is the main key point. [Fletcher Cox], it was obviously big.And even more [defensive and football operations assistant] Matt Leo did a great job of pulling him aside and doing things with him, coach. [Jeremiah] Washburn. That’s the impressive part. He’s a sponge, he wants to continue to get better, he wants to continue to be a big part of this defense, he wants to continue to have an impact, he takes ownership. ”
The Eagles were well-stocked at defensive tackle with Cox and Jordan Davis, but Carter adds another addition up front and will be a big test for the Jets to deal with this weekend.
