Jalen Carter's Pro Day leads to more red flags originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Judging by the buzz surrounding Jalen Carter’s pro day at Georgia, the big name defensive tackle may slide to the Bears at No. 9ー and keep on going. According to multiple reports, Carter weighed in nine pounds heavier at his pro day on Wednesday than he did at NFL Combine just two weeks ago. Further, Carter opted out of several drills, like the 40-yard dash, and didn’t look great in the position drills he did complete.
Folks on Twitter commented that Carter looked sluggish in drills like the one above. According to ESPN reporter Mark Shablach, Carter even had to cut his already truncated day short because he was struggling with cramping and was breathing heavily.
That demonstrated lack of stamina is probably not going to sit well with Matt Eberflus who asks his players to run hard in physically demanding practices.
Carter’s slide down pundits’ draft boards began earlier this month when he was charged with reckless driving and racing, two misdemeanor counts, in connection with a car crash that killed two people. The news broke right before Carter was scheduled to speak at the NFL Combine. Carter traveled to Indianapolis back to Georgia to address the charges, was arrested and quickly posted bond. He returned to the Combine to finish interviews with teams, but never spoke with the media. Carter posted a statement instead expressing confidence that he would be exonerated.
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Carter was previously believed to be a slam dunk top-five pick in the NFL Draft, with many experts predicting the Bears would select him to beef up their defensive line. Now it is unclear where Carter will go.
The NFL Draft begins on Apr. 27.
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