Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive lineman Jalen Carter has opened a lot of eyes over the first three weeks of the NFL season, and on Monday night, Carter got the opportunity to flash his talent on the national stage.
During the Eagles’ 25-11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, Carter logged two tackles, a half of a sack and a pair of forced fumbles.
Afterward, cornerback Darius Slay had high praise for the 22-year-old.
“That is a grown man,” said Slay, according to Josh Tolentino of The Philly Inquirer. “This (expletive) [Carter’s early career start] is crazy.”
On the season overall, Carter has totaled five tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
The Apopka, Fl. native, who played his collegiate football at the University of Georgia, was selected by Philadelphia with the ninth overall pick of the NFL Draft back in the spring.
Carter spent three years at Georgia.
He didn’t get much playing time during his freshman campaign, totaling 14 tackles and three tackles for loss. The following season, however, Jalen Carter broke out, registering 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Then, during his final year with the Bulldogs, Carter posted 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks, a couple of forced fumbles and three passes defended.
The Eagles, who rank 12th in the league in defense thus far, improved to 3-0 with their Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and seem to be well on their way to defending their NFC East division title. Whether or not they can also make it back to the Super Bowl for the second straight year remains to be seen.
Philly will look to stay undefeated when it hosts the Washington Commanders next Sunday. They will need both Darius Slay and Carter to have another strong performance.
