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2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Multiple Teams Are Removing Jalen Carter

Updated April 3, 2023
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

Reports came out recentlyy that Las Vegas Raiders had ruled out Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter is one of the most talented players for the 2023 NFL Draft and is an elite athlete. However, there are a lot of character and work-ethic concerns with Carter around the league. Those were established before his street-racing incident, and then he gained nine pounds between the combine and pro day, with Carter being so out of shape that he could not complete his pro-day workout. Those issues led to Carter being ruled out by the Raiders, according to media reports. WalterFootball.com spoke with sources from two other teams picking in the top 10 that need help at defensive tackle, and they said that Carter is getting pulled off their draft boards as well.

"We definitely need him, but we won't be drafting him," said a director of player personnel. "We aren't going to mess with him with that work ethic and character."

Carter gave the character and work-ethic concerns more validation with his weight gain after the combine and having failed to prepare enough to do his pro day workout. Sources also said that the interviews with Carter have been underwhelming.

"The car-racing issue is very troubling, but beyond that mistake the work ethic and character aren't going to be a fit with us," said another director of player personnel."

Some team sources are unconvinced that Carter can be reeled in and grow into being a professional. "He was allowed to get away with a lot of stuff at Georgia," said an area scout. As a result, there are doubts that Carter is going to handle being disciplined well.

In their pursuit of National Championships, the Bulldogs program has earned a reputation of having a lot of low-character individuals, including the likes of Adam Anderson - multiple sexual assault accusations - and Devonte Wyatt - domestic violence issues. Other players who have had character concerns included Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. This year, Bulldogs left tackle Broderick Jones also has character issues, according to some team sources.

Not all teams picking high in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft feel that Carter's character issues are bad enough to remove him from their board, with one NFL general manager texting as much. While Georgia has been willing to tolerate poor character, not all pro teams are following suit, and as a result, multiple franchises with top-10 picks are pulling Carter off their draft boards.

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