2023 NFL Draft: Top 10 Interior Defensive Linemen and their fits with the Atlanta Falcons
No. 1: Jalen Carter, Georgia
2022: 12 Games Played, 32 Tackles, 7.0 Tackles for Loss, 3.0 Sacks, 1 QB Hurry, 2 Fumbles Forced, 3 Pass Deflections
2021: 15 Games Played, 37 Tackles, 8.5 Tackles for Loss, 3.0 Sacks, 3 QB Hurries, 1 Pass Deflection, 2 Blocked Kicks
2020: 10 Games Played, 14 Tackles, 3.0 Tackles for Loss, 5 QB Hurries, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 Catch, 1 Yard, 1 Touchdown
Jalen Carter is arguably the best on-field player in the entire draft. He's a beastly pass rusher who can attack the offensive line from any technique along the defensive line. Carter is a good fit for any role from nose tackle to 3-4 defensive end in any scheme. He does have some questions about his off-the-field that are murky at best. The questions come from whether or not he's fully motivated for the game and whether he truly loves football.
However, those questions could be the same kind of thoughts asked of Allen Iverson when he said that he just didn't like to practice. In the NFL, he will need a good mentor to show him how to play the game the way Joe Horn showed Roddy White how to play the game. In Atlanta, Carter wouldn't just have Grady Jarrett, but he'd also have David Onyemata and Calais Campbell to learn from as well. Carter might not be available at No. 8 overall, but if he is, they should sprint to the podium.