NEWSLETTER
Jalen Carter visiting the Bears isn’t necessarily earth-shattering news. But it is still quite noteworthy.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the deets:
Again, it doesn’t come as a surprise. Remember, Poles said he was planning on meeting with Carter anyway. So it isn’t as if we didn’t see this coming at some point down the road. Nevertheless, that the Bears are hosting Carter for a visit still leaves me with a handful of takeaways.
Firstly, Poles is doing his due diligence on one of the draft’s top prospects. Considering what we know about the old regime’s way of doing business, something as small as doing your job to its fullest extent isn’t something I’m taking for granted. Secondly, this reflects well on Carter. Maybe this is a sign that he is starting to get things together in his football world. Thirdly, having Drew Rosenhaus in Carter’s corner is also a notable development. Say what you will about Rosenhaus, his advisory presence has been more helpful to players over the years than hurtful.
But the biggest nugget might be that Carter is declining visit invitations from teams outside the top 10. That’s a wild risk to take, but Rosenhause is clearly confident the Georgia product will go in the top 10. If you can find someone who has that type of confidence in you, then keep ’em around forever!
Perhaps a team picking in the top 10 has made a promise to draft Carter (or even Rosenhaus) in that range. Maybe Rosenhaus is drumming up interest in a new way for his client. It is bold for Rosenhaus to come out and make that claim, if only because it isn’t difficult to imagine Carter slipping down draft boards after a booking and poor showing at his pro day. Then again, it doesn’t take much to imagine Carter going in the top 10, too. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago when it was fair to consider Carter in the mix to go first overall (even if it was only on the slight chance that the Bears didn’t trade the pick). So wouldn’t it be something for the Bears to still get that type of talent after trading back to No. 9?
Taking only the on-the-field stuff into consideration, Carter is a stud. It is as simple as that. Carter is a two-time All-SEC honoree, earning first-team recognition in 2022. He also earned unanimous All-American honors in 2022 and was a key cog in two national title winners. Carter’s résumé is one of the best among a draft class loaded with impressive defensive linemen.
And yet, the idea of drafting Carter makes me a bit nervous. Ideally, a top 10 pick is someone who is safe, has a high floor, and has a high ceiling, too. Carter might have the floor and ceiling boxes checked, but the off-the-field concerns aren’t to be taken lightly.
In the end, this is why I’m glad that the Bears are checking in. If the Bears find Carter’s answers to their concerns suitable, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the pick. But we’ve still got some time to get to that bridge (let alone cross it). If the visit goes well, though, maybe we’ll see the next chapter of Carter’s football life play out in Chicago.
