Jalen Carter could make Arizona Cardinals D-line a formidable unit
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals could significantly upgrade their defensive line by drafting the University of Georgia’s Jalen Carter.
For quite some time now, the Arizona Cardinals have had a pronounced weakness at the nose tackle position. Thanks to an awful 2022 campaign, the Cards’ front office could be handed a golden opportunity to rectify that problem.
Jalen Carter, a stud defensive tackle out of the University of Georgia, is projected to be a top-5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Coincidentally, Arizona could be selecting in that general area of the opening round. Would the organization jump at the chance of bringing the highly-coveted Carter to the desert?
Since the 2020 season, the Cardinals have barely gotten by with a variety of nose tackles. The club got as much as they could out of Corey Peters over the past couple of campaigns, until the club’s 2015 free-agent acquisition finally petered out. Rashard Lawrence and Leki Fotu were fourth-round draft selections two years ago, but neither player has shown a whole lot of promise.
Jalen Carter could be the next superstar of the Arizona Cardinals defense
Carter has the skills and physical traits that professional scouts salivate over. At 6 foot 3, 310 pounds, the youngster has the speed to rush the passer and the size to stop the run. One would have to refer back to the great Calais Campbell to find a homegrown defensive lineman who could pressure quarterbacks and stifle running backs so effectively for the Redbirds.
The 21-year-old Carter was named a Unanimous All-American for his outstanding play this past fall. In 11 appearances, the Florida native was credited with 29 tackles and three sacks for the Bulldogs. One year earlier, Carter tallied 37 tackles and three sacks in his 14 games for the 2021 national champions.
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One of the few positives that comes out of such a horrendous season for the Cards is a highly-coveted draft position. Arizona needs help in several areas. Coming out of the league’s three-day event with a flat-out stud like Carter would certainly be a feather in the cap of the talent-starved franchise.
(Statistics provided by College Football Reference)
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