Eagles' Nick Sirianni Defends Jalen Carter's Conditioning after Pro Day Concerns

When Jalen Carter hit the field for his pro day with Georgia in March, it was evident that his conditioning wasn't where it needed to be ahead of his jump to the NFL.

Carter's level of conditioning was once again a topic as players reported for the start of rookie minicamp with the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, and head coach Nick Sirianni was quick to defend the defensive tackle's conditioning.

Sirianni said, via NFL.com's Grant Gordon:

"These guys have been in hotels. They have been on 30 visits. They have been getting ready for pro days. They have been getting ready for the combine. So, to say any of them are in really good football shape and they are ready to play a game tomorrow, I would say that's inaccurate. None of those guys are.

"So, today was not about finding out what their conditioning level was. Today was about going out there and my coaching points to our coaches were, listen, their bodies are not ready to play yet. This is all about protecting the players while still getting ready to play.

"Nobody out there is in the shape that they need to be in, but we are working in that direction. [Carter] looks good. He looked good out there today, and so but like I said, today wasn't about finding out who was ready conditioning-wise because to be quite frank, none of them are."

The Eagles selected Carter ninth overall in the 2023 draft.

After initially being considered by some to be the top player in the class, Carter's stock dropped after a predraft process that included him pleading no contest to charges of reckless driving and racing shortly after Georgia's national championship win.

Carter was said to have been racing shortly before a separate car containing teammate Devin Willock and Georgia recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy crashed, killing Willock and LeCroy. Carter was not accused of being at fault for the crash.

The 22-year-old spent three years at Georgia and is coming off a solid 2022 campaign in which he posted three sacks, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, 32 tackles and seven tackles for a loss.

Carter figures to play a significant role in the Philadelphia defense in 2023 and beyond alongside Fletcher Cox and former Georgia teammate Jordan Davis.