by Andrew Seligman
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — While raving about Jalen Carter’s talent, Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham revealed little Tuesday when it comes to whether the team would feel comfortable taking a chance in the draft on the Georgia defensive tackle.
“I think the more time you spend around him, the more you realize he’s a good player, but you get to know him more as a person,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said there’s “no denying” Carter’s talent, but will make “the best decision for us and our organization.”
The Bears come in with the No. 9 overall pick and no shortage of weaknesses to address after finishing with a league-worst 3-14 record in their first season under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.
They could use another blocker to protect quarterback Justin Fields. They have a glaring need for an edge rusher after registering a league-low 20 sacks as well as a disruptive force on the interior of their defensive line.
Carter was projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick when the Bears owned it. They traded down eight spots with the quarterback-needing Carolina Panthers for star receiver DJ Moore and a haul of draft picks.
There are questions about how far Carter will fall because of concerns about his character, not to mention a rough pro day. He was involved in a car crash that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and a recruiting staffer, Chandler LeCroy. That led to him being given one year’s probation and a $1,000 fine after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing.
At his pro day, Carter was sprawled out on his back apparently suffering from cramps following position drills. He did not participate in other tests, including the 40-yard dash and broad jump.
“You turn on the tape a couple years ago when they first won the national championship and they had all those defensive lineman on the field, you couldn’t help but notice (No.) 88, and then knowing that, oh, he’s going to be in next year’s class,” Cunningham said. “And then you turn on the tape this year and you see a lot of the same flashes where he’s been playing through things.
“So I think he’s one of those players that you covet just in terms of being one of the better defensive tackles in this class.”
The Bears have 10 picks in the draft, including two second-rounders at Nos. 53 and 61 and the first pick of the third at No. 64. Their options for an offensive linemen at No. 9 could be Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. or maybe Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Georgia’s Broderick Jones or Tennessee’s Darnell Wright.
And if all four are available?
“I think that’s what we’re still working through,” Cunningham said. “We’re always using as many scenarios as we can.”
