Despite being touted as one of the most dominant college football players over the past two seasons, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter may be available when the Chicago Bears are on the clock at number nine overall. However, it seems that a pairing between Carter and the Bears may be unlikely, especially after general manager Ryan Poles' comments to the media at the NFL Annual Meeting.
Chicago Bears, Jalen Carter pairing unlikely in NFL Draft
At the University of Georgia, Carter was front and center as the defensive tackle who helped lead the defense and team to back-to-back National Championships in 2021 and 2022. Despite only recording 15.5 tackles for loss and six sacks over the last two seasons at Georgia, Carter was recognized as one of this year's top prospects at any position, and at one point in time was a favorite to be a top-five pick in this year's NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, off-the-field concerns have come up since the end of Georgia's season and the beginning of the pre-draft process, making Jalen Carter a much bigger question mark than anyone could have predicted just two or three months ago.