The Philadelphia Eagles looked like they were going to cruise to an easy victory over the New England Patriots in their season opener. They opened up a 16-0 lead after Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a touchdown pass with 2:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Part of that lead was built off of a pick-six by star cornerback, Darius Slay Jr. Alas, the Patriots didn’t go away easily. They scored the next 14 points, putting the Eagles in a dogfight in the second half of the game.

Alas, Philadelphia did come away with a 25-20 victory. There are certainly some things to work out for the team, as Jake Elliott bailed them out with some very long field goals throughout the game.

Defensively, however, the Eagles stepping into larger roles did look great. One of those players is rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Many people thought he was the best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class, but some off-the-field concerns led to him dropping in the draft.

The Eagles snagged him with the No. 9 pick and the rest of the league is probably regretting that decision already. Carter had an incredible debut, stepping into a prominent role and showcasing what made him a top prospect.

According to NFL Next Gen stats, Carter was on the field for 32 pass rushes. He recorded six pressures and one sack on those chances. The pressures are tied for the most by a rookie defensive tackle in a game over the last five years.

There is a major void in the middle of the Eagles’ defense with defensive tackle Jaron Hargrave departing in free agency. Carter is one of the players, along with Georgia teammate Jordan Davis, who is going to be counted on to plug that hole.

So far so good as Carter had a dominant, record-setting debut. The Eagles were able to make Patriots quarterback Mac Jones uncomfortable all game and the former Bulldog was a big reason for that.