Jalen Carter declining to meet with NFL teams drafting outside top 10
Top NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter is declining to visit any team selecting outside the top 10 in the 2023 NFL Draft, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"I'm confident Jalen will go in the top 10," Rosenhaus said. "He's a good person, a family man, loves football, and is a generational talent."
The defensive tackle is considered one of the top prospects in this year's draft after posting a dominant career at Georgia. However, off-field issues have affected his draft stock.
He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a Jan. 15 crash that killed a Georgia teammate and staff member hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony.
Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service. His attorney, Kim Stephens, said Carter did not cause a car wreck, adding that his client had not been drinking alcohol and was not under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substances, according to ESPN.
Carter weighed 323 pounds at Georgia's pro day in March, nine pounds heavier than he was at the NFL combine in February. He was a limited participant at the pro day, opting to do only position drills.
A report from Vic Tafur of The Athletic recently indicated that the Las Vegas Raiders had already crossed Carter off their draft board. Las Vegas has the No. 7 pick. Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels denied the report, saying his team is doing its due diligence on Carter, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Carter, who's expected to attend this year's draft in Kansas City on April 27, is visiting the Chicago Bears on Monday. He previously met with the Philadelphia Eagles. Chicago and Philadelphia own the No. 9 and No. 10 picks in 2023, respectively.
The Detroit Lions selected Carter sixth overall in theScore's latest mock draft.