Eagles vs. Bears: Who Won Jalen Carter Draft Night Trade?
Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, Jalen Carter was widely viewed as the potential No. 1 overall pick. But after some pre-draft controversy, the Philadelphia Eagles were able to trade up for the Chicago Bears' No. 9 pick and select the Georgia defensive tackle in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick and 2024 fourth-round selection.
With Carter's rookie season now in the books, how has that trade panned out so far?
The Eagles traded up to draft Jalen Carter.
© Kirby Lee, USA TODAY
Carter was viewed as an elite prospect on the field, but following a shaky pre-draft process and some usual quarterback-desperate teams trading up, he was still on the board when the Bears were poised to take the No. 9 selection. That's when the Eagles offered the trade to move up one spot and select him, while the Bears would instead take offensive tackle Darnell Wright one pick later.
The hope was that Carter would help elevate an already dominant Philly defensive line and take the team back to the Super Bowl while Wright would protect quarterback Justin Fields.
Unfortunately, the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card but that doesn’t mean Carter didn’t have a great rookie season.
Carter finished with an 87.4 Pro Football Focus grade (highest among rookies), six sacks (despite only starting once), 50 quarterback pressures, and a 17 percent win rate on pass rushes (sixth-highest among all defensive tackles).
On the other hand, Wright had a OK rookie season, earning a 62.4 PFF grade, but showed some promise.
“Wright overcame a lot in his rookie season and proved to be durable and reliable, leading the team in snaps played by more than 100,” PFF writes. “If he cleans up his footwork and cuts down on penalties, he'll be a key contributor in Chicago for a long time.”
Although the trade is still developing, considering that the Bears haven’t yet used the acquired fourth-round pick on a player yet, Carter is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and looks like he’ll be a pillar to build around in Philly for the next decade.
The Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl this season, but they won their NFL Draft trade by getting arguably the best player in the entire class and securing themselves a star defender for the future.
