Jalen Carter's Bears visit critical part of Ryan Poles' pre-draft evaluation
Bears' pre-draft evaluation reaches critical point with Carter visit originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Ryan Poles and the Bears' important NFL draft fact-finding mission reaches a critical stage Monday when Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter will arrive at Halas Hall for a pre-draft visit, Carter's agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Carter was a projected top-five pick and was in the running to go No. 1 overall when the college football season ended. But questions about his maturity, love of football, and his legal situation -- Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor racing and reckless driving charges in relation to the tragic car crash that killed one of Carter's Georgia teammates and a staffer -- have forced the defensive tackle's draft stock to plummet.
Sprinkle in Carter's pro-day struggles, where he weighed in nine pounds heavier and couldn't complete his position drill, and you get a recipe for a draft slide.
The Bears attended at Carter's pro day and met with the 21-year-old. Poles has said the combine, pro day, and Monday's meeting are all part of the intel-gathering phase of the Bears' pre-draft work.
“We aren’t really there yet. Like the combine, it’s a collection of information," Poles said of Carter in March. "We got some there. We got more at the pro day. We’ll bring him, talk to him and get to know him even better. Some point in mid-April, we’ll sit down and see how we want to handle it.”
Poles and the Bears could find themselves in a tough situation come April 27.
The Bears neglected to address their glaring need for a penetrating three-technique in free agency. Head coach Matt Eberflus has harped on the importance that position plays in the success of his scheme.
It's a hole the Bears must fill in some capacity in the coming months.
On paper, Carter is exactly the type of player the Bears need. He's arguably the most talented player in the draft, and should he fall to No. 9, Poles will have a massive decision to make.
One that could be an early defining moment of his tenure.
If Carter's there at No. 9, the Bears will have to be sure that they have the culture and locker-room structure in place to bring in Carter and put him on the path to success. He'll have to show true contrition in these interviews and convince Poles, Eberflus, and the Bears' staff that the mistakes he made were that of a 21-year-old kid and not a pattern of poor judgment.
There's also the question about his love of football.
For the Bears, it's hard to witness at the altar of the H.I.T.S. (hustle, intensity, takeaways, smart football) principle and then draft a guy at No. 9 who might not pour his all into every practice rep. That's yet another thing Carter will have to prove to the Bears on Monday.
Not only that he loves football, but that he wants to be great and will do whatever it takes to get to that mountain top.
But arguably the most important part of the possible incoming Carter decision is the state of the Bears' locker room.
The Bears have a young roster. Outside of safety Eddie Jackson and defensive tackle Justin Jones, the defensive side of the ball is extremely green. Bringing someone with maturity questions in requires the right leaders in the right places Carter will listen to and follow.
Compare the state of the Bears' locker room to that of the Philadelphia Eagles, who Carter already had a pre-draft visit with, and you can see why the Bears might not have the right pieces in place to take a chance on Carter. A team like the Eagles does.
“We’re at a better place (to draft a player with character concerns),” Poles told reporters at the annual league meetings, via The Chicago Tribune's Dan Weiderer. “I think taking the time here to get to know the guys in the locker room and understanding the maturity level there. But at the same time we also want to be careful, because we’re still young and impressionable. So I think making sure that we continue to bring a good core group in is important. Maybe down the road you want to take a risk like that, I think the locker room begins to run itself so you can take some chances. But right now we need both, we need talent, but at the same time I’m still going to be a little bit cautious of bringing in the wrong type of person.”
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Monday is a critical step in the Bears' pre-draft process. Poles already made his big move when he dealt the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers.
But he still has to ace the pick at No. 9. There's a good chance Carter, who fits a big need, will be there for the taking.
The information Poles gets Monday from Carter will go along way to determining if that's a gamble the Bears are willing to take.
