Ranking the Philadelphia Eagles Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best

2. Jalen Carter, DT, 2023

As teams continued to pass on Jalen Carter early in the 2023 NFL Draft, it became apparent the Eagles were about to get a steal. With the ninth overall pick, they landed the Georgia defensive tackle who some had as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class.

Carter was involved in a horrific off-field car accident which was believed to be due to street racing. He was charged with reckless driving and pled no contest which led to some teams shying away from him in the draft. Philly felt good enough about him to make the selection and he didn't waste any time proving he could play at an elite level.

Throughout his first two games, he had already racked up 11 quarterback pressures — despite coming off the bench. His name was mentioned among players such as Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, and T.J. Watt.

He continued to thrive and by the end of the year, Carter had 33 tackles (eight for a loss) with six sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and recovered one for a touchdown. Pro Football Focus even ranked him sixth overall at the position as he proved to be solid against the run and the pass.

Just like Jordan Davis, Carter should see the field more in 2024 due to Fletcher Cox retiring. That could be bad news for opposing teams since Carter has a much higher ceiling — which is saying something considering Cox was one of the best to do it.