Let’s discuss the overall likelihood of Georgia star defensive tackle Jalen Carter going to the Detroit Lions at No. 6 in the 2023 NFL Draft.
With Jalen Carter visiting the Detroit Lions on Monday, that makes it five teams picking inside of the top 10 who will have gotten top-30 visits from the Georgia superstar defensive tackle.
While he is arguably the most talented player in the draft, he doesn’t play quarterback, and there have been character issues that have tried to knock him down a peg throughout the draft process. Like his teammate Stetson Bennett IV, Carter may not be for everyone, and that’s okay! But ask yourself this question first: Do you want the next Ndamukong Suh to play for you or against you?
With the Detroit visit, Carter will have conducted top-30 visits with the Seattle Seahawks (No. 5), the Lions (No. 6), the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7), the Chicago Bears (No. 9) and the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 10). What in the hell are you doing, Atlanta Falcons?! You have the No. 8 pick and he played right up the road from you! You don’t have to draft him, but a top-30 visit would be nice.
So with all that in mind, what are the chances Carter is the guy the Lions take at No. 6 overall?
NFL Draft rumors: Will Jalen Carter be available for the Detroit Lions at No. 6?
Depending on what the Arizona Cardinals decide to do at No. 3, that is about as early as Carter could be coming off the board. While Jonathan Gannon is a defensive-minded head coach, I feel like the safer play for them at No. 3 would have to be Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. If I were in their shoes, he is exactly who I would take if I stood pat and had to pick at No. 3 overall.
With Seattle selecting at No. 5, that could be a huge issue for the Lions. Just like them, they don’t really need a quarterback. Even more interesting, this wasn’t their pick to begin with either! So yeah, they can absolutely take on the risk of drafting a generational talent with some baggage in Carter at No. 5 as well. Frankly, Carter would thrive playing for either Pete Carroll or Dan Campbell.
While the Raiders at No. 7 could be a potential disaster, I could see teams like the Bears at No. 9, the Eagles at No. 10, or potentially someone else outside of the top 10 moving up to get him. If Carter ends up in Philadelphia on the same front-seven as college teammates Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, NFL Draft talent evaluators failed us. They will win every Super Bowl going forward.
So as far as the overall likelihood is concerned, no, I don’t think Carter makes it past Detroit at No. 6, most certainly not past Chicago at No. 9 and hell will freeze over if he falls past Philadelphia at No. 10. Though I have a feeling Detroit stands a great chance to get him, I would be very nervous about Seattle picking right ahead of them, but a team trading up to get him feels like a stretch.
As far as his best fits are concerned, Carter would thrive with the Seahawks, Lions and Eagles.