5 Prospects the Chicago Bears will likely consider at nine after trade with Panthers

The Chicago Bears could choose to draft Jalen Carter

Jalen Carter has been viewed by most analysts as the best or second-best prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. The problem is that he recently was arrested on misdemeanor charges in relation to a horrific car accident involving two other UGA students -- a recruiting staffer and a teammate. Facts are still being laid out, but we know for sure Carter fled the scene and lied multiple times to the police.

The bigger problem though is that many NFL scouts and teams had already made a decision on Jalen Carter and probably had him lower on their boards than most analysts. Some may have removed Carter from their boards completely. As we are made more aware of the situation (assuming the public is kept in the know), we can decide for ourselves what we think the team should do. It's more likely that many teams will give Carter a second chance. However, he has been dealing with off-the-field issues for a bit of time now.

I had said that I would not take Jalen Carter within the first 15 picks. However, at nine, Ryan Poles must at least consider him. Passing on him at that point seems tough, but we need to trust Poles and his scouts have done their due diligence.