Report: Jalen Carter Viewed as Top 10 Pick; Seahawks Seen as 'Perfect Landing Spot'

Former Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was once regarded as the top talent in this year's NFL draft class, but his stock has taken a bit of a hit due to a tumultuous offseason.

However, ESPN's Matt Miller reports that Carter is still likely to be selected with a high pick when the first round kicks off on Thursday, stating. "It's widely expected Carter will be drafted in the top 10 after meeting with every team holding picks five through 10 in pre-draft visits." ESPN's Jeremy Fowler added that "execs see [the Seattle Seahawks] as a perfect landing spot for Carter."

The Seahawks on the No. 5 pick in the first round, and Fowler pointed out that the team could be eyeing Carter thanks to "Pete Carroll's ability to manage strong personalities and maximize talent." Still, there are some questions remaining about his off-field issues.

"Concerns--from weight gain this offseason to charges connected to a deadly car crash (Carter pled no contest)--are not hard to find with Carter," Fowler wrote. "Many teams believe the talent outweighs the drawbacks, however, especially if he goes to a strong locker room with a stable culture."

Carter was involved in a car crash on Jan. 15 that resulted in the deaths of Georgia football player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, as his SUV was allegedly racing LeCroy's SUV at the time of the crash. The horrific incident occurred on the same night that Georgia won its second straight national championship.

After pleading no-contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, Carter received a sentence of 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service and to attend a state-approved defensive driving course. He acknowledged during a segment on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel earlier this month that there's a chance his draft position is affected by his involvement in the crash.

"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."

Still, it appears that there are multiple teams near the top of the draft who are eyeing Carter, so he likely won't have to wait too long to hear his name called on Thursday night in Kansas City.