Jalen Carter Says Legal Issues Will 'Matter a Little Bit' in 2023 NFL Draft

Former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is one of the best prospects in next week's NFL draft, but his situation off the field could make teams rethink selecting him.

Carter, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing last month, said during a segment on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that he isn't surprised that it would affect his draft status.

"Yeah, I feel like it's gonna matter a little bit," Carter said (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio). "Because, you know, NFL teams look deep into your life. But it could've been something I did back in elementary [school]. You know, I'm pretty sure they'd know. So you know, this coming out at the time it did come out I'm pretty sure is going to affect a little bit."

Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service and to attend a state-approved defensive driving course for his involvement in a car crash on Jan. 15 that resulted in the deaths of Georgia football player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter's SUV was allegedly racing LeCroy's SUV at the time of the crash, which occurred on the night of the Bulldogs winning their second straight national championship.

Carter noted that "a couple teams asked me about it" during the pre-draft process, "but they really didn't get too in depth about the accident." He later added, "They just wanted to hear my side and that was it."

In the lead-up to next week's draft, Carter's agent Drew Rosenhaus declared his client wasn't taking visits with teams drafting outside of the top 10. Rosenhaus addressed the possibility of Carter sliding down the board on draft night during the Real Sports segment.

"I will tell him in the green room to keep a stiff upper lip and to maintain a positive attitude that we're going to be drafted at any second now," Rosenhaus said. "And yes, I'll be on the other line calling teams and saying, 'You better pick this guy right now, because I'm talking to other clubs that could potentially take him.'"

When asked about the chances he's wrong about Carter going inside the top 10, Rosenhaus said, "I won't be. I won't be."