Jalen Carter had “high hopes for Philly” heading into the NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up a pick to make sure they got Jalen Carter at No. 9 overall, and shortly after they made the call, the defensive lineman out of Georgia spoke to reporters about the life-changing moment.

He admitted that he was overcome with emotions after his name was called and as he walked across the stage. He was thinking about his family and how he’s worked his whole life for this moment — seeing their faces and emotions made him tear up.

Here’s what else Carter had to say:

On his visit with the Eagles

Carter said that his Top 30 visit went great and there were a lot of good vibes during the trip.

He later acknowledged that the team didn’t really ask him much about his accident or the Pro Day workout, and their meeting was a chance for them to get to know him and asses his love for the game. Carter said that most teams did not bring up his accident when he made his way around for visits.

The defensive lineman admitted that as far as his Pro Day went, he did feel conditioned heading into the workout, but the results showed otherwise and he knows that he should’ve worked more leading up to it.

He didn’t have any general expectations about where he would go in the draft, but he was excited about the potential to land with the Eagles.

“Had high hopes for Philly because I had a good visit with them, and I felt like it was a good team to go play for.”

On reuniting with former teammates

Carter is reuniting with Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean — the trio were a big part of the National Championship winning Georgia defense in 2021.

“That’s an exciting moment for me. Them guys was the leaders of the 2021 team, and I just know that if I got any questions, I can ask them — and also ask anybody else on the team.”

Carter and Davis spoke recently, and Dean is someone he texts with — Carter expected to have texts from both guys when he checked his phone, and might have a FaceTime call with them later.

Other notables

• He got to meet Jason Kelce just minutes after being draft, and he said that the Eagles center said he can’t wait to compete in 1-on-1s
• Carter knows Fletcher Cox is in Philly, and knows they’re a good team — obviously, Super Bowl contenders —, but he’s excited to learn a lot when he gets to town.
• As for his talent as a defensive lineman, Carter said that he’s a good pass rusher and run stopper. At Georgia, it was all about stopping the run first, so he’s got that down, and has been expanding his production in the pass rush, as well.