Drew Rosenhaus Thinks Jalen Carter Has 'Very Good Chance' of Being Top-5 Draft Pick

Drew Rosenhaus remains confident Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter will be a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

"The goal has been to educate teams about Jalen and the case and who he is," Rosenhaus said to NBC Sports' Peter King regarding his client's predraft visits. "It hasn't been an easy process, but I do think it's been good for Jalen to get out and see the teams. I think there's a very good chance he'll go in the top five."

Early into the draft process, Carter looked like a strong candidate to go first overall to the Chicago Bears. Once they traded the top pick to the Carolina Panthers, his outlook shifted somewhat dramatically.

Three of the teams in the top five (the Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts) could all plausibly take a quarterback. The Cardinals, who have the No. 3 selection, could trade back as well and clear the way for another QB-needy franchise.

Even if Carter's stock had remained stable over the past few weeks, he was still losing ground to the best quarterbacks in the class. But off-field concerns have done him no favors and could push him toward the back end of the top 10.

In March, the 6'3", 314-pound defensive lineman pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing in connection to the fatal crash in January involving teammate Devin Willock and Georgia staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter had been racing LeCroy before she wrecked her SUV.

General questions over Carter's level of commitment were raised when he showed up slightly out of shape for Georgia's pro day and performed poorly. Go Long's Bob McGinn spoke to a scout who said Carter "doesn't love football, doesn't love the weight room."

Nonetheless, the upside for the Bulldogs standout is obvious. He's the No. 2 overall player on Bleacher Report's big board, and B/R NFL scout Matt Holder compared him to Hall of Famer Warren Sapp.

Maybe Rosenhaus' optimism will prove justified.