Months ago, some experts began to speculate that there could be some dirt coming for NFL hopeful, Jalen Carter. That reality came to fruition early this morning after the top-level prospect had a warrant sent out by the Athens-Clarke County Police. All of this comes after many were excited to see what this defensive lineman could do at the NFL combine, which he left because of this issue.
Many do not know what to expect when it comes to the resolution of this whole situation as it currently plays out. Carter later denied the crimes that were charged in his direction that paint him in a bad way. Things could potentially get a lot worse for this prospect as his draft stock will likely take a hit if he cannot prove his innocence in some way.
Jalen Carter has a warrant out there from an offense weeks ago
As described in the earlier portion of this article, Carter has a warrant out for his arrest. He left the NFL Combine to go back to Georgia to try and clear his name before it causes his draft stock to plummet. Going back and facing this issue head-on seems like the best decision, but it could also come back to bite him if he cannot resolve this issue.
The warrant states the following, "The investigation found that Chandler LeCroy, driver of the 2021 Ford Expedition, and Jalen Carter, driver of a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, were operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing shortly after leaving the downtown Athens area at about 2:30 a.m. The evidence demonstrated that both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.
Evidence indicated that shortly before the crash the Expedition was traveling at about 104 miles per hour. The toxicology report indicated that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197 at the time of the crash. Investigators determined that alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed were significant contributing factors to the crash."
It is a heartbreaking story that saw people making poor decisions, which ultimately caused some to lose their lives. Carter has a long road in front of him and it could cost him a ton of money in the long run, especially if he cannot prove his incense. Expect more fallout from this to come over the remainder of the draft process as NFL clubs try to decipher if the gamble of taking Carter is worth it or not.
Carter has all of the talent in the world but this mistake could ruin everything
Drinking and driving is never a good idea, but for one reason or another plenty of professional athletes have been caught doing this recently. Henry Ruggs III was the most notable in recent history as the former first-round pick decided to drink and drive, which caused him to kill someone. There are others that made the same fatal error, and Carter could have put himself in that same conversation of reckless driving.
Carter was seen as a potential top pick in the upcoming NFL draft by some, but he was seen as a top ten lock in his worst-case scenario. He has all the talent in the world and seemed to surpass some of his talented defensive line teammates coming out of the process last year around this time. It’s truly amazing the type of players that Georgia has been able to produce on the field in recent years.
Trying to figure out what kind of effect this has on Carter is too hard to call at this juncture. He has all the talent in the world, and that will cause some to pause and figure out if this issue is worth the gamble of taking him or not. Time will tell when it comes to this prospect’s potential location in the draft selection process. Carter might have caused his draft stock to slide a monumental amount, especially if he is found guilty of these crimes.
Steelers could have a realistic shot at Carter if they choose to take him
No one would believe you if you traveled into the future and came back with the mention of Jalen Carter becoming a member of the Steelers organization. He is a top prospect that seemed squeaky clean before the news broke today. Now his name is tarnished by controversy as the warrant could potentially cause some clubs to be scared away.
Even though there is this warrant out there, do not be shocked if a team before the Steelers would take him even if Carter is found guilty. What a player can do for a team is something that drives clubs when it comes to the selective process, not what happens off the field, with some exceptions. The Steelers are known for trying to have a clean reputation in the past, but that has changed in the last decade or so.
If Carter somehow slipped to pick 17 in the upcoming draft, unless he is found guilty of these charges listed, it would be difficult for the club to bypass him. He would be able to plug straight into the lineup next to Cam Heyward and put on a show with this defense. The Steelers would need to do a ton of homework on this player between now and then, but his potentially sinking draft stock could open up a can of worms many did not expect heading into the offseason.