Jalen Carter’s Draft Stock Nosedives After Police Issues Arrest Warrant Against Him in Deadly Athens Crash Case

Things are not going very well for Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Just 45 days ago, he was involved in a deadly crash that resulted in the deaths of a teammate and a Bulldogs staff. Now, he finds himself in much deeper trouble, after the police issued two misdemeanor warrants for his arrest on Wednesday.

Carter is considered one of the prospective #1 picks for this year’s NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears hold the first pick, and they don’t really need a QB. That significantly increases the chances of a defensive player being picked. Enter Carter, with his 32 tackles and 3 sacks this year. He is undoubtedly the best defensive player on the draft board right now, a player many teams would be looking at right now.

Jalen Carter learns of the warrants against him at the NFL Combine

The 2x CFP National Champion is currently at the NFL Combine. As soon as news broke about the warrants issued in his name, Carter released a statement on Twitter, in which he announced his intentions to return to Athens and turn himself in. Carter also did not appear for a scheduled interview on the same day. Officials cited an extended physical test as the reason.

The crash occurred on the 15th of January, 2023. Just 6 days after the Bulldogs won their second consecutive CFP National Championship. Reportedly, the team was celebrating this win, and it lasted well into the night. Post which Jalen Carter and staff member Chandler LeCroy allegedly started racing each other in their vehicles. LeCroy, along with offensive lineman Devin Willock, did not survive the crash.

Carter is now being charged with misdemeanor reckless driving, and racing. Carter’s representatives have reached out to Athens police officials, and come to an arrangement wherein Carter can turn himself in, according to a police spokesperson. Though, the exact date of this happening has not yet been revealed.

As one can expect, Carter’s draft stock took a massive hit as soon as the authorities decided to issue a warrant against him. As per CBSSports.com’s latest first round mock draft, Jalen has slipped to number 17 to the Steelers.

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Will this news hurt Carter’s draft potential?

Jalen Carter has been widely considered as a top 5 pick, if not a rival for the first pick, for this year’s draft. However, it is players in these situations who are hurt the most with even a pinch of negative news. The misdemeanor charges could massively affect his draft potential. However, Carter thinks he will be fully exonerated. In which case, it might not make a lot of difference.

Though, this is not his first run-in with the law. While his past incursions have not been this serious, he has been cited 3 times with traffic violations while in college. It is these small things that add up to be a massive headache for teams and players.

Whether a GM will look at this record and see a man who does not like playing by the rules, is to be seen. For now, the only thing fans can do is wait and watch.

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