The Bears are still a rebuilding team and they invested in their young star quarterback by drafting an offensive tackle in the first round. However, Chicago also had a chance to select possibly the best player in the draft – at least on the defensive side of the ball – and opted not to.
Instead of perhaps drafting Jalen Carter with their pick at nine, Chicago traded that pick to the Eagles, who went right up and selected the Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle.
670 The Score’s Danny Parkins and Andrew Fillipponi of the Audacy Original Podcast “1st & Pod” reacted to the Bears’ decision to trade their pick instead of drafting Carter.
“I don’t understand why they did that. I mean I know what the argument is. The argument is they’re not in a position like the Eagles are to nurture and develop Jalen Carter. Fletcher Cox is there. His old teammate Jordan Davis is there. And the Bears have no defensive line talent and are a very young team,” Parkins said (1:55 in player above). “But you’ve got Matt Eberflus, a defensive head coach, who says that a three-technique tackle is the whole key to his defense, and arguably the most talented player in the draft is there at nine – at that position.
“I don’t know how you pass on it. I was furious. But Darnell Wright, at least he protects Justin Fields also. It’s an investment in your franchise quarterback so I don’t think you can hate it, but I think that Jalen Carter’s going to haunt the Bears.”
Fillipponi was fully prepared to have his co-host excited rather than furious to start the show.
“He’s a guy that even with all the red flags, when he was there at nine I’m like ‘Oh my God. I can’t wait to start the podcast with maybe the Bears trading down and still getting the player that maybe they would’ve been forced to take if they went and stuck at that pick back in January,’” he said.
Carter’s off-field situation dropped him down the board a bit but pundits didn’t seem surprised that he was still a top-10 pick. Chicago may indeed regret passing on him if he’s able to turn into an elite defensive tackle in Philadelphia.
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