Bears asst. GM: Carter is 'one of those players you covet' in draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears could face a regime-defining decision when/if they go on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday.
Many signs point to the Bears having their eyes on one of the top-four tackles in the class, but Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter could throw a wrench into that plan and leave the Bears with a difficult choice.
On paper, Carter is arguably the most talented player in the class. He plays a position of need and would be an ideal fit in head coach Matt Eberflus' defense. But questions about Carter's character, love of football, work ethic, and the racing incident which led to a plea of no contest to two misdemeanors have clouded his draft future.
The Bears visited with Carter at his pro day, where he weighed nine pounds heavier than the combine and couldn't finish position drills. They also hosted him for a top-30 visit to complete the intel-gathering process.
Should Carter's "red flags" see him fall to No. 9, the Bears must decide if they feel he's the right fit for them at this point of the rebuild. The talent is clear.
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"I think Jalen's a really good player," Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday at his pre-draft availability at Halas Hall. "I mean there's no denying the talent, you turn on the tape a couple years ago when they first won the national championship and they had all those defensive linemen on the field, you couldn't help but notice 88 and then knowing that, 'oh, he's going to be on next year's class.' Then you turn on the tape this year and you see a lot of the same flashes where he's been playing through things. So I think he's one of those players that you covet just in terms of, you know, being one of the better defensive tackles in this class."
The big question about Carter and the Bears is whether or not he fits the H.I.T.S. (hustle, intensity, takeaways, smart football) mold that Eberflus desires. Eberflus has a high standard for every player on the roster, and it has been said that Carter was not always all-in at practice while at Georgia.
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It would be a hard sell for Poles and Eberflus to sell a top pick that doesn't preach at the H.I.T.S. altar. However, Cunningham sees a player with the characteristics and motor Eberflus wants, especially in a franchise building block.
"I think Jalen Carter when you watch him on the field, he's active, he works hard, he's physical, I think when you turn on the tape, he shows a number of plays where he shows physicality and toughness, you know those sorts of things," Cunningham said.
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Liking Carter's tape and believing he's a H.I.T.S. guy doesn't mean he's the Bears' preferred target. But it does sound like the Bears haven't taken Carter off their board like other teams in the top 10.
"I think for me personally, I think spending more time with him and really just getting to know him, we were able to ah, I think our first conversation with him was at the combine, second time was at his pro day," Cunningham said when asked if the Bears would feel comfortable bringing Carter into the organization. "I think the more time you spend around him the more you realize that know that he's a good player but you get to know him more as a person. I think ultimately, where we feel we've made the best decision for us and our organization."
Whether or not the Bears will be tempted to take Carter over Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Wright, or another top prospect likely will boil down to the shape of their board. Need won't, or at least shouldn't, play a factor.
"I think that’s what we always do is try to take that best player available approach," Cunningham said. "I think the whole needs thing kind of — it’s funny, Ryan [Poles] and I were having this conversation earlier, those needs kind of get ironed out with the whole process, but ultimately it’s the best player available. I think when you get into Day 3 and you kind of look at the board horizontally, you see some positions are maybe a little bit more robust than others. And I think that’s where you kind of have to finesse it a little bit in terms of saying, ‘OK, this stack — obviously, you don’t want to take somebody way down the board versus somebody higher, but when you look at it horizontally, it helps with some of that decision-making."
If Carter falls to No. 9, it would be hard to say he isn't the best player available. It's unlikely he will fall into the Bears' lap. The Seattle Seahawks, who sit at No. 5, are thought to be very interested in selecting the Georgia star.
But if he does slide, will the Bears be willing to ignore the "red flags" and take a chance on the talent? At the very least, it'll be a conversation come Thursday night.
