Here are some spicy new details on the circumstances surrounding the Eagles’ Jalen Carter pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Everyone’s talking about how the Philadelphia Eagles won the draft, but few are talking about how Jalen Carter also won the draft.
The Georgia defensive tackle gets to join one of the best teams in the league right now, growing and developing alongside a supremely talented group of veterans in Philly and competing for a ring in Year 1. It’s a rookie’s dream come true.
Apparently, Carter had a hand in the team’s decision to draft him last Thursday. It’s common knowledge that the teams pick the players on draft night, but Carter called up Philly and gave them a legendary sales pitch to remember.
Of course Carter wanted to be on a win-now squad like Philadelphia, and he brazenly took the initiative to make sure the reigning NFC champions wouldn’t pass on him.
Jalen Carter reportedly reached out to Eagles on Day 1 to convince them to draft him
According to Adam Schefter, the Eagles were going “back and forth” on whether to take Carter, which adds an element of intrigue to their draft decisions.
Following the pick, the entire NFL community couldn’t believe they were able to land a top prospect like Carter. Micah Parsons was visibly upset. An NFC East coach reportedly texted, “Dammit.” Giants fans everywhere cried.
The Eagles were one defensive holding call away from winning the Super Bowl, and now they get to add a generational talent on the defensive line. It just didn’t seem fair.
Yet seeing that Philly wasn’t 100 percent ready to take Carter that night may cast extra doubt on this pick. Not a lot of doubt, just a smidge.
Howie Roseman and the Eagles have made killer trades and moves in recent years to build a championship-contending roster, and the Carter pick certainly feels like one of those classic “Howie is a wizard” decisions at face value. Kudos to Carter himself who knew what he wanted, presumably floored the Eagles’ front office with an outstanding speech, and got it.
