The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the big winners in the 2023 NFL Draft. Their general manager, Howie Roseman, has done a magnificent job year in and year out of navigating what is an unpredictable landscape. Whether it is trading up to nab a player they want, trading back for more assets or acquiring a veteran with extra picks, Roseman has figured something out.
This year, there were a few moves that stood out that the Eagles made. But, arguably the best one was moving up in the first round. Philadelphia made a trade with the Chicago Bears, swapping the No. 10 and a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for the No. 9 pick.
With the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected Georgia defensive tackle, Jalen Carter. The rich get richer after this move as defensive tackle was the only real hole on Philadelphia’s roster and they filled it with arguably the best prospect in this year’s draft class.
Carter’s draft stock tumbled a bit with his off-the-field issues in recent months. Compounding that was a very underwhelming performance at his Pro Day in which he failed to finish drills and looked to be very out of shape.
Despite that, the Eagles’ trade-up and subsequent selection of Carter drew rave reviews. One person who thought highly of it was CBS Sports football analyst, Pete Prisco. Prisco handed out one A+ grade in the first round and it went to Philadelphia for this pick.
“The Eagles move up one spot and give up little to get a guy I think is the best player in this draft. Yes, he has some off-field issues, but this is a great spot for him. Howie Roseman wins again.”
Carter is one of five Georgia defensive players that have been drafted by Roseman in the last two drafts. Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, while the Eagles used the No. 30 overall pick on Nolan Smith and traded up in the fourth round to select Kelee Ringo.
If you are going to target one school’s players exclusively on the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs are where to go. They have had historic defensive performances in the last two seasons, sending starters and backups alike to the next level as draft picks.
Carter has a chance to be the best of the bunch. The Eagles will be counting on him to help offset the loss of Javon Hargrave, who signed a massive four-year deal in free agency with the San Francisco 49ers.
