Could Jalen Carter Fall To Bears After They Traded Away First Pick?

At the very end of the college football season, as Georgia was wrapping up its rout of TCU in the championship game, the consensus belief was that the immovable object in the middle of the Bulldogs’ defensive line, 314-pound tackle Jalen Carter, would be the first player taken in the NFL draft.

Carter keyed the defense that shut down the Horned Frogs in the 65-7 anti-climax to Georgia’s unbeaten season. The day before, the Houston Texans had used a two-point conversion to upset Indianapolis and move the first overall pick to the Chicago Bears, who had been expecting to pick second.

This unexpected gift landed in the lap of Ryan Poles, the Bears’ second-year general manager. He was not even considering it a possibility at the end of a 29-13 loss to Minnesota, the Bears’ 10th consecutive defeat.

“So I go into the locker room and [I swear] on my kids’ lives, my only thought process at the time was to just show appreciation for guys who fought through a really tough year,” Poles told NBC Sports’ Peter King. “I talked to all of them. Then someone pulls me aside and says, ‘Hey, Houston won. We got the first overall pick.’ I wasn’t even there in the mental space to think about it yet.

“Then, that night, getting in the driveway at home, my neighbor drives by and yells out, ‘Hey man, congratulations on the first pick!’ And I was like, a little weird to celebrate this.”

A lot has happened since Poles pulled into hs driveway, including Carter’s involvement in a single-car accident that killed one of his teammates and a young recruiting assistant from Georgia. Carter was racing a car driven by the football staffer and has subsequently received 12 months’ probation as a result of misdemeanor charges. He followed that up by putting on nine pounds between the NFL Combine and Georgia’s pro day workouts.

Poles traded the first overall pick to Carolina on March 10, receiving the ninth pick, receiver D.J. Moore, a late second-rounder (No. 61), a 2024 first-round pick and a ’25 second-rounder. That bounty, made possible by the Texans winning two of their last three games, sets up the Bears to have a franchise-changing draft.

One of the most intriguing scenarios is the same as it was at the end of the NCAA championship game — Poles taking Carter with his first pick.

The Bears invited Carter to Halas Hall for a visit in early April. On paper, he seems perfect to fill the need for a 3-Technique tackle, which coach Matt Eberflus lists as a key to his defense. It’s up to Poles to determine if he trusts Carter to fulfill his potential as a pro.

Carter may be off the board before the Bears pick, of course. Seattle and Detroit, which pick fifth and sixth, respectively, are possible landing places if they aren’t scared away. But, assuming the best, it would be extremely fortuitous if Poles wound up taking the same guy at No. 9 he had briefly been expected to take at No. 1.

The Bears’ biggest needs entering Thursday night’s first round are clear — help on the defensive and offensive lines. There are a number of attractive options on both sides of the ball. Don’t be surprised if Poles trades down a second time if Carter is not available at No. 9.

One possible scenario has Houston taking a defensive lineman (Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. or Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson at No. 2 and then looking to move back up for a quarterback. The Bears could swap No. 9 for No. 12, allowing the Texans to grab a quarterback ahead of Seattle and Tennessee.

That would still allow the Bears to grab a top lineman — more likely offensive than defensive — and add a third- or fourth-rounder from the Texans, who currently have six picks in the first four rounds.

The Bears currently have four of the first 64 picks, although only one of the first 52. They sent their highest second-round pick (No. 32) to Pittsburgh to acquire receiver Chase Claypool at the trade deadline last season.

Poles surprised everyone by using his top two picks on defensive backs a year ago, in his first draft as a general manager. He likely has a move or two up his sleeve this time around. But nothing would be trickier than trading the first pick and still winding up with the most talented player, which seems possible.