More Jalen Carter Appreciation
Posted: May 10th, 2023 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on More Jalen Carter AppreciationWe’ve talked a lot about Jalen Carter this spring, but he’s such a compelling subject that we’re going to keep talking about him. I hope that’s acceptable. If not, I’ve got some JJ Arcega-Whiteside All-22 pieces I can begin posting.
This was interesting to see.
https://twitter.com/newheightshow/status/1653772126095294467
We’ll find out if Jason Kelce is a good judge of people, but it is encouraging that he’s saying the right things about Carter so far. I can’t stress enough the value that Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson and Kelce have in creating the right environment for Carter. They have experience and strong personalities. If Carter is willing to listen, he’ll be in good shape. If he isn’t, he’s going to wash out pretty quick.
Now let’s talk about Carter the player. He’s powerful and can physically overwhelm some blockers.
.@GeorgiaFootball @JalenCarter the Violent Power of Jalen Carter. It’s real and QB’s beware #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/dihpzh2keq
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) May 2, 2023
We probably don’t talk enough about him as a smart, skilled DT. Remember that he didn’t play in a 1-gap attacking system. Carter had different responsibilities based on the scheme on a particular play. Watch his 2-gap ability in this clip.
https://twitter.com/mightykaos41/status/1654296393115156480
Here he shows a variety of moves/techniques.
#godawgs #jalencarter #atlantafalcons #ATL pic.twitter.com/K3NylAm2Nj
— JaySlimm (@DJBabySlimm) May 3, 2023
Carter is the rare DT who has the potential to be a run-stuffer and an impact pass rusher.
But it's not just about pass rush with Carter!@PFF_College has a metric that shows the % of plays with a positive grade against the run
Carter's was 32.8 this year (an ELITE number)!
Vita Vea, Quinnen Williams and Milton Williams were the only DTs drafted who beat that
— Fran Duffy (@EaglesXOs) May 3, 2023
Numbers are impressive, but then you see something like this.
— Back 2 Back (@yearofthedawgs) December 3, 2022
Wow.
Just wow.
That is one special dude. If he pans out, the Eagles could have an absolute monster in the middle of their defense for a long time. I don’t want to over-hype Carter, but he’s not just your typical DT1 out of the draft. He can dominate vs the run and pass. That’s rare. Beyond that, DT is becoming even more of a critical position in today’s NFL. Coaches want to play with a light box. You can do that with DTs who can 2-gap. Offensive coaches can burn that by throwing the ball. Put Carter on the field and the offense doesn’t have an easy option.
The more I think about Carter as an Eagle, the happier I get. He might not pan out, but if he does, the Eagles could be building a dominant defense.
*****
The schedule comes out on Thursday. Here is your early look at what we know.
Here's what we know about the Eagles' 2023 schedule so far:
Week 13 — vs. 49ers on Dec. 3 at 4:25 p.m.
Week 16 — vs. Giants on Dec. 25 at 4:30 p.m.— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) May 11, 2023
Mixed feelings on a Christmas game, but at least it is late enough that we can enjoy gift-giving in the morning. Fingers crossed on Santa getting me a case of PBR and large bag of Funyuns. Then I can enjoy the game in style!
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