Name: Jalen Carter Position: Defensive lineman School: Georgia Height: 6’3″ Weight: 300 lbs Games watched: vs. Kentucky (2021), vs. Clemson (2021), vs. Oregon (2022), vs. Tennessee (2022), vs. Alabama (SEC Championship ’21), vs. LSU (SEC Championship ’22)
If you want just a quick snapshot on just how good Jalen Carter really is, he might be the best player from the 2021 Georgia defense. That defense included Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, Lewis Cine, Channing Tindall and Quay Walker, among others. He was 2nd team All-SEC despite only playing in a rotational role. Carter got the chance to truly shine in his junior season, wrecking opposing game plans and terrorizing quarterbacks all season long.
His 2022 numbers are far from eye-popping, with three sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles, but if you put on his tape, you will be blown away by his speed, ferocity and athleticism. His efforts did not go unnoticed either, netting him AP 1st team All-American and 1st team All-SEC honors. He dominated the trenches and has the potential to be an All-Pro level player at the next level.
Pros
Carter has an incredible get off for a player his size. He throws his weight around well and his play strength is astounding. He routinely knocked opposing linemen on their backside in both run and pass sets. He has a fantastic rip move to disengage from blockers, allowing him to penetrate the backfield quickly. Carter will be very effective in pass rush stunts at the next level as well with his ability to eat up double teams and draw additional attention. He can line up pretty much anywhere along the defensive line, with Georgia deploying him as a nose tackle and a standup edge rusher in the same game. If Carter does not get home, he has a knack for getting his hands into passing lanes to disrupt throws.
Cons
There are a handful of weak points in Carter’s game, but they are few and far between. He has a tendency to lose his balance as a pass rusher, ending up knocked way off his line or on the ground from time to time. It almost seems to be a byproduct of how fast he plays. There is the occasional snap where he gets moved off the ball in the run game. As I noted before, his production leaves a little bit to be desired as well, posting just six sacks over the past two seasons. I’ve seen some recent reports that Carter has some character issues. I’m not privy to that type of information at all, but it is something worth noting as we move through the pre draft process.
Synopsis
Carter is a menace and the highest graded player I have so far in this draft class. He is a three-down option with plenty of stamina to stay on the field all three plays. He competed against the best of the best in the SEC and should be a force in the NFL. Look for him to have a Quinnen Williams or Chris Jones type impact on a defense.
Is this premature? Absolutely. Am I going to do it anyway? You bet.
We haven’t seen quarterback drama like this in New England since at least 2017 when the team traded Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco. At that point, the Patriots still had Tom Brady. Mac Jones seemed to be Brady’s heir after the Pats spent a first round pick on him in 2021. New England reached the playoffs and Jones was in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.
Oh how things have changed.
Jones opened the season as the unquestioned starter, but suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 that forced him to miss the next three games. Brian Hoyer was supposed to be his short-term replacement, but then the veteran quarterback suffered a concussion during his first start against the Packers.
Enter Bailey Zappe.
The rookie fourth-round pick from Western Kentucky was a bit of a surprise pick by the franchise in this draft, but most viewed him as a developmental prospect who could be a quality backup long term. That has not been the case so far. Zappe nearly upset the Packers in Week 4 coming in to replace Hoyer. He led the Patriots to back-to-back wins over the Lions and Browns, completing 41 of 55 passes for 497 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Needless to say, fans in New England were ready for Zappe Hour and The Zappening and everything in between. However, Mac Jones was cleared to return for Monday Night Football against the Bears and got the start. Jones didn’t last long though. He attempted just six passes, amassing 13 yards, and was pulled after throwing an interception. Zappe got the offense moving, scoring a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-10 lead. Things went off the rails from there. Chicago went on to win 33-14.
Zappe clearly provided a spark, but it fizzled and it left New England in a tricky spot at quarterback. Belichick dodged questions about who his starting quarterback would be going forward. He said Jones was taken out of the game because he wasn’t healthy. If that was really the case, then why was Jones out there in the first place? This whole situation is a bit bizarre and really casts a shadow over his future with the team.
It certainly appears that Belichick is no longer 100% committed to Jones. He has been underwhelming this season, with just three touchdowns to six interceptions. His passer rating and completion percentage are also down from a year ago.
As I already noted, this is definitely a bit early to talk about Jones no longer being with the Patriots. This would be very early to move on from a first-round pick at quarterback after just two seasons, especially without a change in the front office. Still, stranger things have happened. If Jones does become available, there are a few teams that will definitely be interested.
Indianapolis Colts The Colts have been searching for a quarterback since Andrew Luck retired. Matt Ryan was the team’s fourth opening day starter in as many years. This team has been searching for a long-term solution, but has only had stop-gap answers. Acquiring Jones could potentially end the carousel at the position.
Now, I can understand why Indianapolis might be hesitant to make this move. The Colts brought in Carson Wentz hoping a change of scenery would bring out the best in a player that looked like an MVP before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2017. That obviously didn’t work out as the Colts shipped him out to Washington after just one season.
The difference here is that Jones is still on his rookie deal. Wentz had already signed a mega extension with a ton of money guaranteed. It makes acquiring Jones a much lower-risk move by comparison. Frank Reich is on the hot seat. I’m not sure he will get another chance with this team, but Chris Ballard has put together a pretty good roster outside of the quarterback spot. Jones could give him a consistent, accurate passer to operate a run-focused offense centered around Jonathan Taylor.
New Orleans Saints The Jameis Winston experiment in New Orleans has not gone according to plan. His play has been inconsistent, but more importantly, his health has kept him off the field. An ACL injury cost him the remainder of the 2021 season. Now, he is dealing with multiple fractures in his back and a lingering ankle injury. Andy Dalton has fared well in relief, but I can’t imagine that the Saints really believe he could be the long-term answer at quarterback.
Jones has a similar playstyle to Drew Brees and while Sean Payton is no longer the head coach, this is still largely the same staff. Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael had a lot of success with an incredibly accurate quarterback who lacked elite mobility and arm strength. New Orleans has already sunk a lot of draft capital into this team, so I would not be shocked to see them go all in by acquiring an upgrade at quarterback.
Washington Commanders I already talked about Carson Wentz and how he struggled in Indianapolis. Things have not been much better since he joined the Commanders. His protection was terrible before he suffered a thumb injury that landed him on injured reserve. According to Spotrac, Washington can move on from Wentz this offseason with minimal dead. Releasing him would free up $27 million in cap space. Needless to say, Wentz’s future in D.C. doesn’t look great. I think it is also safe to assume that Washington does not believe in Taylor Heinicke long term. They went out and acquired Wentz despite having Heinicke still on the roster. It feels like this team is poised to look elsewhere this offseason when it comes to the quarterback position.
Jones would certainly need better protection if he were to thrive in Washington, but $27 million would give the Commanders a decent amount to invest in their offensive line. Terry McLaurin would unquestionably be the best receiver Jones has ever worked with and it would be a reunion with his former teammate Brian Robinson. This is another tricky spot with Ron Rivera on the hot seat, but adding a young quarterback on a rookie deal could buy him a bit more time to turn things around in Washington.
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New episodes dropping every Friday! Football is finally back in full swing! Stetson Bennett, Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud each had important weeks to open the season. There are a few other standout performers from across the country as well. Plus, Chris looks ahead to another big weekend of college football games and reacts to Thursday Night Football.
You can find every episode on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. As always, I appreciate reviews, feedback and when you hit that subscribe button.
The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.
There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.
First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.
There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.
If you missed the previous entry, you can find it here.
With all of that in mind, let’s continue our countdown to No. 1. Check back Friday for players 35 to 30.
40. Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas Cowboys Age: 23 Years remaining on contract: 2 2022 cap hit: $1.72 million The NFL’s leader in interceptions for 2021 checks in at No. 40. That might seem a little low for a 23-year-old corner who just earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl status. Perhaps it is. Despite his 11 interceptions, he got picked on a lot. That’s because he is a bit inconsistent in coverage. Nobody allowed more yards in coverage than Diggs last season and the 10th most yards per completion. His passer rating allowed was still one of the best in the league because of the number of interceptions and pass break ups he had. In short, Diggs is high risk, high reward in coverage. His contract is also a bargain. I’m willing to bet on him still improving a bit in coverage at such a young age. I’m also not moving him higher because I know that him replicating 11 interceptions in a season is very unlikely.
39. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers Age: 26 Years remaining on contract: 4 2022 cap hit: $6.88 million I don’t know if there was a better offensive weapon in football than Samuel. He had 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns, including 365 yards on the ground. San Francisco lined him up all over the formation and he excelled in every spot. It was a coming out party for Samuel, who flashed his upside as a freshman, but only played in seven games in 2020. He got a big pay day this offseason, but the first two years of his contract are actually very affordable. He carries a $6.88 million cap hit in 2022 and an $8.68 million in 2023. It jumps to about $28.5 million in 2024, which is less than ideal, but the bill always comes due at some point. If Samuel can show he can consistently produce at this All-Pro level, he will certainly be higher next year.
38. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks Age: 24 Years remaining on contract: 4 2022 cap hit: $8.84 million This was a tough call between Samuel and Metcalf. I ended up giving Metcalf the slight edge for a few reasons. For one, he has been more durable so far, never missing a game in his first three seasons. He also has fantastic production, with over 3,200 yards and 29 touchdowns. What’s more, Metcalf is only 24 years old. He is a physically dominant force that I believe could slot into basically any offense. Like Samuel, he signed a big extension this offseason. Again, the first two seasons are incredibly affordable for a player of his caliber before the cap hits jump up near $25 million. I have no doubt that his production will drop off this season with one of the worst quarterback situations in recent memory, but that does not mean he will be any less talented.
37. Jordan Mailata, OT, Philadelphia Eagles Age: 25 Years remaining on contract: 4 2022 cap hit: $4.37 million This one might come as a bit of a surprise, but Mailata is one of the best young left tackles in the game. At just 25 years old, he is still just scratching the surface of his potential. He finished fourth in run-block win-rate. He was also PFF’s third-highest rated tackle, trailing only Trent Williams and Tyron Smith. At 6’8″, 365 pounds, he is a mountain of a man who moves incredibly well. His contract is very team-friendly as well. His cap hit over the next two years is under $8 million. Given what we’ve already seen from Mailata coupled with his upside, I think this is a great spot for him.
36. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders Age: 29 Years remaining on contract: 5 2022 cap hit: $8.17 million One of the most prolific receivers over the past few seasons. Since he entered the league in 2014, only Mike Evans has more receiving touchdowns. He has benefited from playing with Aaron Rodgers, but there is no denying Adams’ talent. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. While he is certainly nearing the end of his prime, I still believe Adams has a few years left of elite production. His contract situation may look a little daunting on the surface with looming cap hits of over $40 million in the final two years of his deal when he will be 33 and 34-year-old respectively. However, the Raiders would be able to move on from Adams after the 2024 season with limited dead cap hit.
Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.
There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.
First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.
There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.
If you missed the previous entry, you can find it here.
With all of that in mind, let’s continue our countdown to No. 1. Check back Thursday for players 40 to 36.
45. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts Age: 26 Years remaining on contract: 1 2022 cap hit: $13.75 million There are few players who have dominated the league as thoroughly and consistently as Nelson has since the moment he stepped on an NFL field. He is a four-time All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler in his first four seasons. He is coming off his worst year as a pro, which still resulted in a second-team All-Pro designation and a Pro Bowl selection. Positional value and contract structure are what holds Nelson back from being higher on this list. I have no doubt that the Colts will re-sign Nelson, but he is in the final year of his rookie deal with no long-term extension in place. He is going to cost a lot to keep, which is saying something because he already carries the largest cap hit for a guard in the entire league by nearly $1.5 million. He is that good, but it is easy to question paying an interior offensive linemen that much money.
44. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Age: 29 Years remaining on contract: 2 2022 cap hit: $10.32 million Evans is one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history. He has had at least 1,000 yards receiving every single season he has been in the league. He also has 75 career touchdown receptions, including 27 over the past two years. He is definitely nearing the end of his prime, but he still looks like he could have a few great years left in the tank. He has a very affordable cap hit for this season, but 2023 carries a cap hit north of $23 million. His contract expiring heading into his age 31 season could put teams in a tough spot. However, if Evans is still producing like he has up to this point, it would be easy to justify re-signing him.
43. Evan Neal, OT, New York Giants Age: 21 Years remaining on contract: 5 2022 cap hit: $4.46 million I get that not everyone is going to agree with this one, but I am sticking true to my draft board for right now. I had Neal as my highest-rated player entering the 2022 NFL draft. Nothing I have seen or read so far has led me to change my mind on that front. The Giants are going to start him at right tackle for now, but I think he is a future left tackle in this league. He is a great run blocker and has the traits to develop into an asset in pass protection as well. Neal will turn 22 in September. If he hits like I think he will, he could be a franchise tackle in the league for the next decade.
42. Shaquille Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts Age: 27 Years remaining on contract: 5 2022 cap hit: $11.17 million Where do I even begin with Leonard? He is a four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, not to mention the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is an elite tackler with a nose for making big plays. His 17 forced fumbles are tied for second most since he entered the league, trailing only T.J. Watt. Don’t discount his ability in pass coverage either. Leonard is a complete player with plenty of years left in his prime. My only knock against him would be his contract situation. He has a cap hit of at least $19.7 million for the final four years of his deal, which is very high for an off-ball linebacker, but when you have elite talent, you have to pay to keep said elite talent.
41. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams Age: 29 Years remaining on contract: 5 2022 cap hit: $17.80 million The triple crown winner has arrived. Kupp became the first receiver since Steve Smith Sr. in 2005 to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in a dominant season that nearly saw him eclipse 2,000 yards. He is a perfect fit in Sean McVay’s offense. As much as I love Kupp, I am a little hesitant to put him higher on this list. For as good as he was, he has topped 1,000 yards only one other time in his five-year career. He will also turn 30 next offseason and has a lot of money tied up in his remaining contract. The counter argument to all of this is that we have finally seen Kupp at his best when he has a quality quarterback. I’m hedging my bets a bit putting him here.
Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
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