Don't Rule Steelers Out of Landing Jalen Carter
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't a team with expectations of selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter in the NFL Draft. But with new reports appearing that he's being "removed" from other team's boards, could he actually slide to 17?
The more realistic question is would the Steelers trade up for him? If Carter falls past ten, with general manager Omar Khan saying he's not afraid to move up in the draft, would they try to make a move for the once-thought-top player in the class?
Here's what's going on. According to The Athletic's Vic Tafur, the Las Vegas Raiders have taken Carter off their draft board following two misdemeanor charges of racing and reckless driving and then weighing in nine pounds heavier at his Pro Day and "struggling" with workouts.
After the Raiders, other teams have reportedly started removing Carter as well.
Then, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell had this to say during a session with local media:
"We talked to a teammate of his the other day, and man, he told us some things we didn't know," Campbell said. "That nobody probably would've known. It was like, oh, that's interesting."
He refused to clarify what he meant by interesting or what he discovered.
Dropping to 17 seems almost impossible for Carter after recording 18.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles during his three years at Georgia, and being a prototypical DT, standing 6'3, 320 pounds. But if he's already been removed from multiple teams' draft boards within the top 10, how many more need to pass on him before Pittsburgh is interested?
Assumingly, the top two picks will be quarterbacks. Will Anderson is expected to go third, with the Indianapolis Colts being another option for a quarterback at four. If the Lions (6th) and Raiders (7th) have removed themselves, the teams of worry would be the Seattle Seahawks (5th), Atlanta Falcons (8th), Chicago Bears (9th) and Philadelphia Eagles (10th).
You could see Philly licking their chops for a player like Carter, but at that point, if they pass on Christian Gonzalez for Carter, it's still a win-win for the Steelers. Either they see a defensive tackle or the top corner drop out of the top 10. Both of which are positions of need for Pittsburgh.
It's still a very big "what if," and the Steelers likely can't wait after 10 before the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, or New England Patriots grab him at 11, 12, 13 or 14.
Khan seems to have a fire lit under him with his first offseason as GM, though. There's been aggression that feels different, and if his top player is sliding, he's probably going to make some phone calls.
With five picks in the top 120, moving up probably isn't too difficult for the Steelers.
Should you start believing Jalen Carter can end up a Steeler? Not yet. Is a month enough time for him to slide to a place where the Steelers can make a move? Absolutely.
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