Pros and Cons of Lions Drafting Jalen Carter

Evaluating whether the Lions should draft the polarizing prospect

The Detroit Lions may be forced to make a big decision during the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Once considered to be the top defensive prospect in the Draft class, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter could be available for selection when the Lions are on the clock at sixth overall. 

Off-field concerns have hurt his draft stock throughout the offseason. This has made the decision of whether or not to draft him all the more interesting. 

For starters, he was an outstanding player at Georgia. In three seasons, he totaled 18.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Carter was a dominant presence on a Bulldog defense that has won the last two national championships.

The talented prospect has been billed as a game-wrecker with the potential to transform a defense. On film, the impact he can have on a game is more than evident. 

He earned an exceptional 92.3 Pro Football Focus overall defensive grade. Though his statistics weren't eye-popping, he was often working against double teams, and still managed to make a sizable impact. 

Carter plugged run lanes and got after the quarterback. Despite a relatively low sack total, he notched 32 pressures in 2022. 

The Lions have Alim McNeill and Isaiah Buggs as established defensive tackles. Depth is an issue at the position. Detroit lacked oomph in the trenches defensively. 

Carter's physical style of play and athleticism at the point of attack will make him a top asset on any defense. The Lions would certainly benefit from drafting him. 

Heading into the offseason, he was viewed among the top defensive players in the draft pool. However, his momentum was brought to a halt when reports surfaced of his involvement in a fatal crash involving one of his teammates at Georgia and a team staffer. 

Carter will face 12 months of probation as a result. He did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in March, and struggled through his pro day March 15. 

That day, he couldn't to finish his position drills and didn't participate in on-field agility testing. 

He also weighed nine pounds heavier at his pro day than he did at the Combine. His character has come into question, too, as a result of these recent events. 

Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter / © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Lions have done their due diligence on the talented prospect. General manager Brad Holmes hosted him on a top-30 visit leading into the draft, which offered the two parties an opportunity to connect on a personal level. 

"He came in, and he did a nice job," Holmes said. "Again, it's always case-by-case, came in, we enjoyed our time with him, did a nice job. I will say, even after he left his visit, I felt better about him."

Under their third-year GM, the Lions have built a roster filled with players who fit the team's ideal culture. Various reports circulate, but the only individuals who truly know how the team feels about Carter are likely Holmes and the rest of the front office. 

Meanwhile, the Lions are in the midst of dealing with an internal issue. Four players, including budding star receiver Jameson Williams, were recently suspended for violating the NFL's anti-gambling policy. 

Williams and fellow wideout Stanley Berryhill were each hit with six-game bans. Receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore, meanwhile, were released after getting suspended indefinitely. 

Additionally, the organization fired several staff members for gambling, as a result of the investigation. 

With this recent scandal, the Lions may be evaluating the state of their culture. 

Holmes and his staff have stated how much they value the culture they're creating. With everything plaguing Carter's stock through the pre-draft process, there are legitimate concerns about how he would fit with the team. 

Ultimately, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has said he makes his evaluations based on players' performances on film. 

This likely means the decision will come down to the coaching staff's takeaways from Carter's game film. 

"It's all encompassing, but I would say this, it always starts with the tape. Always," Campbell explained. "Because if if it's not on the tape, it's hard to talk yourself into, or to talk me or Brad into saying that you're a player or that you believe in these things, when it's not on the tape. So, it's always the tape, and then you want to know if it's validated by the way that they present themselves and the way they talk football. Just all encompassing, I would say. But, it's hard to hide what you are on the tape."

The debate will likely carry on through the draft's opening night. There's no questioning Carter's talent, but the concerns surrounding his character make the potential choice a tough one for the Lions' front-office brass. 

Still, some believe that his stock hasn't been hit too much leading into draft night. ESPN's Mel Kiper explained in his big board that the talented defender remains highly valued by NFL teams. 

"The reality is Carter's stock hasn't dropped in the eyes of NFL teams, and so I'm not dropping him in my rankings," Kiper Jr. wrote. "On the field, he is a fantastic prospect. I moved him to No. 1 in my December Big Board update, and he finished the season playing the best ball of his career."

In a draft filled with uncertainty, the intrigue surrounding this possibility is palpable. Should Carter still be on the board at No. 6, the moments leading up to Detroit's pick will be met with excitement.