Falcon Report

Georgia DT Jalen Carter Issued Arrest Warrant Minutes Before NFL Combine Interview

Jalen Carter is expected to be one of the top picks going into this year's NFL Draft. But will the Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle see his stock drop after being involved in a fatal car accident that killed his former teammate Devin Willock?

Jeremy Brener

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The top of this upcoming NFL Draft now has a little more uncertainty.

According to Athens Police Department, an arrest warrant has been issued to Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter, a projected top-5 pick in next month's draft, for reckless driving and racing.

On Jan. 15, Carter, 21, and Georgia staffer Chandler LeCroy, were racing their vehicles around 2:30 a.m., just a week after winning the National Championship over the TCU Horned Frogs.

As a result of the racing, among several factors, LeCroy (who was driving Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock), died in a crash.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart released the following statement via NFL Network ...

Carter was expected to speak to media at the NFL Combine, but was pulled from his interview time just minutes before he was scheduled to appear.

It's unclear how much discipline Carter will receive after being arrested and whether this will affect his draft stock. In Sports Illustrated's latest mock draft, Carter was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick going to the Chicago Bears.

The Atlanta Falcons, who are slated to pick at No. 8 overall, could use a defensive tackle to pair with former All-Pro Grady Jarrett, but it's questionable whether a) Carter will still be on the board at that time and b) whether this incident will knock him off their draft considerations.

Carter released a statement on his social media later Wednesday afternoon stating his intentions to fight for a full exoneration of the charges against him. 

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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