The Next Aaron Donald? Eagles' Jalen Carter Chasing GOAT

Could Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter be chasing the legacy of legendary Los Angeles Rams defender Aaron Donald as he enters his rookie season?

Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Carter plans on winning Defensive Rookie of The Year this season, something that no defensive tackle has accomplished since Rams legend Aaron Donald did it back in 2014 before the team moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles. But are his goals realistic?

The first time the DROY trophy was awarded was in 1967. Since then, only eight defensive tackles have won the award, but the accolades amongst those to accomplish the feat are astounding.

All eight defensive tackles to win DROY went on to become a member of at least one Pro Bowl team, five became All-Pro defenders, and one has already been named a member of the NFL Hall of Fame [“Mean" Joe Greene], and the two active players both have a chance [Donald and Ndamukong Suh].

A legitimate case could be made that Donald is the greatest defender of all time. His career stats per 17 games leave him with an average of 13 sacks per season. He’s been a Pro Bowler all nine seasons of his career, a First Team All-Pro seven of those nine seasons, won Defensive Player of The Year three times, holds the single sack record for defensive tackles [20.5], and quarterback hits from the position [25].

Induct him into the HOF already 🐐 https://t.co/EjF6JAeSAj

— Isaiah De Anda Delgado (@IsaiahDDelgado) August 1, 2023

Yet all of those accomplishments started with Donald winning DROY in 2014, something that hasn’t been done by a defensive tackle since. Carter certainly has a steep hill to climb for the comparison to make sense.

Per SI Sportsbook, Carter currently has the second-best odds to win the award (+650), behind Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., who had double-digit sack totals his final two seasons at Alabama. However, Carter was the top-graded defender in the NFL Draft and told SI.com's Eagles Today in a recent exclusive interview that he feels he’s dreamt of winning DROY and has to get both the trophy and double-digit sacks with the Eagles. 

“People tried to run against Georgia, but in the NFL, it’s more passing,” Carter said. “I feel like I’m gonna get more sacks. Philly had 70-plus sacks last year. We’re going for that again. I’m gonna try to get as many sacks as I can, tackles, field goal blocks, and all.”

If Carter wins DROY this season, he’ll follow in Donald’s footsteps and begin his journey toward GOAT status, though it's best not to get ahead of ourselves. For now, the Eagles rookie will have to make do with continuing to dominate at training camp.

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