The Arizona Cardinals have a decision to make amidst new revelations regarding defensive tackle and draft prospect Jalen Carter.
If you haven’t already heard, ESPN reported that 2023 NFL Draft prospect Jalen Carter is facing serious charges in the light of the fatal crash that killed teammate teammate Devin Willock and recruiting staffer, Chandler LeCroy. Carter, who in some mock drafts was slated to go number one overall in Aprils’s draft, may see his stock fall substantially.
Of course, this hits home for the Arizona Cardinals, considering defensive tackle was labeled as a top need heading into the offseason, and Carter, a potential solution. At this point, with everything still in its infancy, general manager Monti Ossenfort and assistant David Sears will be keeping an eye on the situation.
If Carter no longer becomes an option for the Redbirds, it could change the entire dynamic of their draft if coveted pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. goes either at number one or number two overall.
What the Arizona Cardinals should do if Jalen Carter is no longer an option
The possibility remains that Will Anderson Jr. will fall to Arizona with the third pick. This would become even more likely if the Chicago Bears (who already have Justin Fields) trade the top pick with a quarterback-needy team like the Indianapolis Colts or the Las Vegas Raiders.
Odds are, the Houston Texans will take the second-best quarterback in April, who will either be C.J. Stroud or Will Levis. That would leave the Cardinals free to snag Anderson. But if the Bears keep the pick, things will get murky.
Chicago, unless they shock the world and decide to trade Fields, could easily end up picking Anderson. In that case, the Cards could either roll with Tyree Wilson at third overall, or they could end up trading back.
We at Raising Zona will keep an eye on the Jalen Carter situation, and discuss it in broader detail when we find out more information. At this point, we all need to wait and see what becomes of this as more details emerge.
Source: Jalen Carter, top NFL draft prospect, charged with racing in fatal crash by ESPN News Services with information derived from the Associated Press, ESPN.com.