LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — While sharing his belief in Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter as a player, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham on Tuesday revealed little about whether Chicago is willing to take a chance in the NFL Draft on the embattled Carter given his character concerns.
Owners of the No. 9 overall pick, the Bears held a meeting with Carter at the NFL Combine in early March, then welcomed him to Halas Hall for a top-30 visit in early April. While Cunningham raved about Carter as a player, he stopped short of endorsing his character when asked if the Bears would be comfortable selecting him.
“The more time you spend around him, the more you realize that he’s a good player, but you get to know him more as a person,” Cunningham said Tuesday at Halas Hall following the Brian Piccolo Award ceremony. “I think ultimately, where we feel we made the best decision for us and our organization.”
In March, Carter pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in connection with a fatal crash in January in Athens, Georgia. He received a sentence of 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service, and he’ll also be required to attend a state-approved defensive driving course, ESPN reported. Carter won’t serve jail time.
Carter left the NFL Combine in March after being formally charged in Georgia, then later returned to Indianapolis to complete his interviews. He participated in on-field workouts during Georgia’s pro day in late March but had a poor showing, arriving nine pounds heavier and failing to complete certain drills.
In the 2022 season, Carter was named a first-team All-American for his play as part of Georgia’s second consecutive national championship. He posted 32 tackles, seven tackles for a loss and three sacks over 13 games while playing through knee and ankle injuries.
“Jalen is a really good player,” Cunningham said. “I mean, there’s no denying the talent. You turn on the tape a couple years ago when they first won a national championship, they had all those defensive linemen on the field, you couldn’t help but to notice No. 88 and know that he’s going to be in next year’s class. And then you turned on the tape this year and you see a lot of the same flashes while he’s playing through things. I think he’s one of those players that you covet in terms of being one of the better defensive tackles in this class.
“Jalen Carter, when you watch him on the field, he’s active, he plays hard, he’s physical. I think you can turn on the tape and see a number of plays when he shows physicality and toughness.
“Just spending more time with him and really just getting to know him, we were able to be there with him.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker