2023 NFL Draft: Six-time Pro Bowler calls out top prospect Jalen Carter for this ‘not smart’ predraft decision

When it comes to 2023 NFL Draft prospects, there aren’t many players who have seen their stock fall faster than Jalen Carter’s over the past month.

Before the combination, the former Georgia defensive tackle was widely regarded as a surefire top-10 pick with a chance to make the top five. However, several things have happened in recent weeks that have seriously damaged his stock. For example, on March 16, he was sentenced to 12 months probation and had to pay a $1,000 fine after pleading no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing.

Carter also hurt his stock in mid-March when he wrestled on his Pro Day. Not only was he overweight, but he couldn’t finish his positional exercises.

While his stock seems to be dropping rapidly, that’s not how his agent (Drew Rosenhaus) sees it. Rosenhuis told ESPN on Monday that he is so confident that Carter will be a top-10 pick that the defensive tackle will reject all visit requests coming from any team not in the top 10.

“I am confident that Jalen will finish in the top 10,” said Rosenhaus. “He is a good person, a family man, loves football and is a generational talent.”

One person who thinks this is a terrible decision is former NFL defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The six-time Pro Bowler, who was the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, explained why Carter makes a terrible decision by only visiting with teams that pick from the top 10.

“Whether he is expected to be top 10 or not, his recent conditions and his training, this is not smart,” said McCoy. wrote on Twitter. “You never know who wants to trade in. Don’t assume with the draft. We’ve seen crazy things happen.”

McCoy makes two very good points, especially the second. Even if Carter doesn’t think his stock is really falling, there’s still a chance he’ll end up with a team outside the top 10 if that team trades to get him. In principle, it makes no sense to refuse visits for that reason alone.

As for where Carter might land, our CBSSports.com design gurus are divided. We’ve had him go as high as fifth, but we’ve also got him as low as 20th. To see where it could end up, head over to our main mock draft page by clicking here. You can check out SIX mock drafts in one place, so it’s definitely worth clicking through.