Daniel Jeremiah offers Hall of Fame comp for potential Bears NFL Draft target Jalen Carter

The Chicago Bears will have no shortage of options with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The first choice among Bears fans is for general manager Ryan Poles to trade down with a quarterback-needy team. In a perfect world, he’ll trade down twice. But if the trade market runs cold, Poles can remain at the first pick and select one of this year’s elite defensive prospects.

That choice will come down to two players: Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Both offer elite upside at areas of weakness in the Bears’ defense, but it’s Carter who could potentially have the biggest impact.

Coach Matt Eberflus’ defensive scheme relies heavily on the three-technique defensive tackle. It’s the position Justin Jones manned in 2022, and while he put together a solid year, Carter’s upside as an interior disruptor is on another level.

According to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Jalen Carter’s upside is so high that he reminds him of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer great Warren Sapp.

Jeremiah said Carter is the best player in the 2023 NFL Draft.

nflnetwork: RT @NFLGameDay: .@MoveTheSticks thinks @GeorgiaFootball DT Jalen Carter is the best overall prospect in this year’s draft class

(@breadmanjalen) pic.twitter.com/ypMPdA9Mkb

— Original NFL streams | Reddit NFL streams NFLbite (@nflbite_) January 29, 2023

Jalen Carter would be the logical pick for the Chicago Bears at No. 1

I prefer Will Anderson Jr. simply because of his traits as an explosive pass rusher. But after watching Carter more closely recently, it’s obvious why he’s the logical choice for the Bears if they keep the top pick.

Carter has the rare combination of initial quickness and explosive power that the best interior defensive linemen possess. Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones dominated the AFC Championship game with traits similar to Carter’s. Granted, Jones is a bigger dude, but it isn’t unreasonable to think Carter can have the same kind of impact in Chicago that Jones has had with the Chiefs.

Jalen Carter is a foundational prospect that Ryan Poles and Eberflus can build their defense around, especially if the Bears focus their free agency spending power on edge rushers. And while Bears fans may want a trade that brings Chicago a bounty of draft picks, adding one special player is sometimes the better play.

Carter may just be that guy.

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