Jalen Carter: Pro Player Comparisons for the Eagles 2023 Nfl Draft Selection

After heaving speculation, dozens of Bijan Robinson mock drafts, and last-second smokescreens involving Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles stuck to their guns, stuck to their traditional team-building strategy, and traded up one spot with the Chicago Bears – for the low, low price of pick 10 and a 2024 fourth-round pick – to grab their guy at pick 9: Jalen Carter, defensive tackle, Georgia.

Arguably the most talented player in the 2023 NFL Draft who fell due to off-the-field issues, Carter joins Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in the middle of new defensive coordinator Sean Desai's scheme, where he will be able to play in place of and alongside Fletcher Cox as the team's four tech defensive end who can kick even closer to the center on obvious passing downs and in defensive sub-packages.

Needless to say, this selection is an A+ home run – to mix metaphors ever so slightly – but who, you may ask, does Carter compare to as a pro? Well, fear not, for plenty of people who know a lot about football have pro comps for the 22-year-old collegiate Bulldog who will make Eagles fans very excited indeed. #FlyEaglesFly

3 Pro Comps for new Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

3. Quinnen Williams

In the opinion of Pro Football Focus, Carter is about as bluechip a prospect as they come in the 2023 NFL Draft; he's dominant in the eye test, dominant in traditional analytics, and one of the highest-graded players in the history of PFF's advanced analytical metrics. So, it's no wonder the company's 2023 draft guide not only labeled him a top-5 pick but boldly declared him the best prospect since Quinnen Williams, who is about to get paid by the New York Jets.

“Jalen Carter is neck and neck with Quinnen Williams for the best defensive tackle prospect we've graded at PFF (since 2014),” PFF wrote. “Williams was a touch quicker, while Carter is a bit more powerful, but it's darn close. Carter finished 2022 with a Power Five-leading 92.3 overall grade.”

Now granted, PFF didn't actually compare Carter to Williams on the field, they projected his playing style to be more similar to long-time Panthers' cornerstone Kawann Short, but in terms of impact, getting a Williams-style player for the low-low price of the 10th overall pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick is a pretty incredible value, even if he's likely going to become very expensive in the not too distant future.