Has Jalen Carter Tumbled Out Of Seahawks' 2023 Draft Plans?

From a talent perspective, Jalen Carter could wreak havoc for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West for the next decade. But a pair of signings in free agency coupled with the prospect's off-field issues may knock him out of consideration with a top-five pick.

Holding the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks will have a prime opportunity to add premium talent with their highest selection since 2009, pre-dating the arrival of coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.

Since the 2022 season ended and Seattle officially earned that top-five pick courtesy of the Russell Wilson blockbuster trade with Denver, Georgia standout defensive tackle Jalen Carter has been a popular choice in mock drafts and for obvious reasons. The First-Team All-American possesses elite size, athleticism, and game-wrecking ability that the franchise has lacked along the defensive line since Cortez Kennedy and John Randle played in the early 2000s.

Considering the immense struggles that the Seahawks endured stopping the run last year, Carter would be an immediate plug-and-play starter with an All-Pro ceiling. His talent and upside are undeniable. In the right situation, he has superstar potential.

But Carter hasn't done himself any favors squashing character and work ethic concerns during the pre-draft process and with each new development, his draft stock takes a tumble. Based on Seattle's game plan in free agency thus far and recent comments from Schneider regarding the team's draft process, there's a strong possibility he has pushed himself off the team's big board entirely.

Coming off of Georgia's second straight National Championship victory, Carter had slam dunk top-three selection written all over him. However, moments before he was scheduled to speak with reporters at the NFL combine, news broke that an arrest warrant had been issued for his involvement in a January 15 street racing accident that resulted in the deaths of former teammate Devin Willock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy.

Charged with reckless driving and racing misdemeanors after allegedly reaching speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour with his 2021 Jeep Trackhawk on the night LeCroy lost control of her vehicle, Carter left Indianapolis to return to Georgia and turned himself in. That night, he posted bail at $4,000 and was released.

Less than two weeks later, with unresolved legal issues still hovering over him, the hits kept coming for Carter. After not working out at the combine, he weighed in at 323 pounds at Georgia's pro day on Wednesday, nearly 10 pounds heavier than he was in Indianapolis. Aside from doing positional drills, he didn't run the 40-yard dash or do any of the athletic testing either.

Jalen Carter bending through the bags pic.twitter.com/Lsk3RJl6zo

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 15, 2023

Ultimately, pro days aren't that big of a deal, especially for top-tier prospects. Scouts and coaches only need to watch the tape to know how dominant of a player Carter can be and that remains the first and foremost evaluation for NFL teams. On that merit alone, he's worthy of a top-five pick.

However, after botching his opportunity to run or partake in athletic testing at the combine due to his arrest, questioning Carter's character, competitive drive, and mindset remains fair game. Georgia's pro day presented a chance for him to restore some of his shine by arriving physically prepared and testing well at a job interview redo, only for him to show up with bad extra weight on his frame and fail to even finish positional drills.

That's far from a positive look and even before Wednesday's struggles in Athens, initial moves made in free agency suggest the Seahawks already have made plans not to pick him in the top five even if he remains available.

In a stunning development on Monday's first day of the NFL's legal tampering period, Seattle went after a big fish to open free agency, agreeing to terms with former Denver defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones on a three-year, $51 million contact. Continuing to shuffle the deck along the defensive line, they agree to terms with former second round pick Jarran Reed on a two-year contract, bringing him back into the fold for a second stint with the franchise.

While those two moves don't curtail the Seahawks from drafting Carter on their own, a significant change in ideology regarding the draft may do just that.

In the past, the Seahawks haven't been afraid to throw a lifeline for talented players with a troubled past. As just one example of many, Schneider drafted defensive end Frank Clark in the second round in 2015 despite the fact he was kicked off Michigan's football team for a domestic violence incident the previous fall. While there was plenty of blowback from fans, that particular selection panned out. The same could be said of the decision to pick Bruce Irvin in the first round in 2012.

But on the opposite end of the spectrum, Seattle has been burned on a few occasions overlooking character red flags. None stand out more than the ill-fated second round selection of Michigan State defensive tackle Malik McDowell, who didn't play a single snap for the team after suffering head and face injuries in an ATV accident weeks before his first NFL training camp.

Since the cataclysmic failure picking McDowell nearly six years ago, Schneider and Seattle's scouting department have made a conscious effort to dig deeper into the character of prospects. While they haven't reinvented the wheel in terms of assessing size, skill, competitiveness, and grit, the philosophy has tilted more towards finding talented players who also exhibit high character.

While he didn't specifically talk about McDowell's failed pick in context, Schneider told reporters at the combine last month that philosophical shift was a key aspect of their draft process last year as the Seahawks unearthed a decorated 2022 draft class.

"Our area guys do a phenomenal job concentrating on character. We've really focused on who that person is," Schneider elaborated. "Some of the mistakes we've made is not necessarily being correct on the person as much as you could possibly be correct, if you will. So, you know, the guys start in May, probably about two, three weeks after the draft with all their contacts, coaches, equipment, guys, trainers, everybody. Yeah, we're getting questions answered."

Looking back at Seattle's draft classes since 2018, this renewed focus couldn't be more evident. Schneider hasn't rolled the dice selecting players with troubled backgrounds or red flags waving in the air, instead prioritizing players who have previously been team captains or drew raving reviews from their coaching staff for their leadership and maturity.

Last year alone, the Seahawks drafted three former team captains in Abraham Lucas, Boye Mafe, and Coby Bryant, while seventh-round pick Dareke Young graduated with an engineering degree at Lenoir Rhyne. Charles Cross, Ken Walker III, and Tariq Woolen all entered the draft process revered by their coaches for being quality young men as much as their immense football talent.

Does that recent trend automatically rule Seattle out of the mix for drafting Carter? Not necessarily. Supremely talented players often lead to exceptions against the rule in professional sports and if the team does enough homework on him and still feels comfortable drafting him after reviewing all the facts, he could remain a top target.

But considering his comments in Indianapolis, Schneider painted himself into a corner where he would be inviting plenty of criticism if he backtracks by selecting a talented player with red flags galore early in the first round. Given how well last year's class performed with a revamped philosophy centralized on character, he may be perfectly content passing on him for another talented player without the baggage and question marks.

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