Peter King agrees with the Bears passing on Jalen Carter originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Before the recent NFL draft, plenty of speculation suggested the Bears were open and willing to select Georgia defensive tackle, Jalen Carter if he was available.

At the No. 9 pick, Carter was there for the Bears' taking. But they decided against selecting him. They traded the pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted Carter in the Bears' place.

The Bears decided to focus on their offensive line, notching Darnell Wright out of Tennessee. NBC Sports expert, Peter King, thinks the Bears made the right decision in passing on Carter.

"I would have taken whoever was the best offensive tackle on my draft board," King said on ESPN 1000 with Waddle & Silvy.

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During the NFL combine, a warrant for Carter's arrest emerged for racing and reckless driving. One of his teammates and a recruiting staffer died as a result of the incident. Carter fled the scene and returned to the police with a separate account of the situation. In the end, Carter pled no contest in the case.

Later, during Carter's Pro Day, he elected to cut some of the drills out of his workout, including the 40-yard dash. Still, he was unable to physically complete the workout, getting winded and experiencing cramping.

Carter's character and drive for football were put into question thereon after. As a result, without explicitly admitting the reason, the Bears decided against drafting Carter. Yet the Eagles, according to King, have the best chance of making the most of Carter's talent.

"The Philadelphia Eagles are at a point right now where they can afford to take a chance right there with Jalen Carter," King said.

The reigning NFC champion Eagles have a stacked, talented roster. Their defense created 70 sacks in 2022, the most of any team in the NFL, towering over the second-place Kansas City Chiefs by 15 sacks.

They have the veteran leadership, the locker room and the talent to inherit Carter without cause for concern. If Carter doesn't work out on their roster, so be it. If he does, they add one of the premier defensive talents in the draft to their already outstanding defensive line.

The Bears could miss out on Carter's future. No matter, however. Poles & Co. weren't alone in passing on the questionable defensive talent. And the risk was too overwhelming for their current state.

"The Seattle Seahawks needed Jalen Carter. No. 6, the Detroit Lions. They had a big need for an interior defensive line. They passed on Jalen Carter," King said. "The Las Vegas Raiders had four big needs, one was an interior defensive lineman. They really needed Jalen Carter. They passed on him. The Atlanta Falcons. Right in Jalen Carter's backyard. Maybe they knew him better than everybody. They passed on him.

"I don't look at it as the Chicago Bears being alone in their search for a really good dominating interior defensive lineman and passing on Carter."

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