Last week, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay made headlines by praising receiver Devonta Smith, suggesting that he could become the best receiver in the league. This week, Slay is showering another young talent from the Philadelphia roster with admiration.
Slay is in awe of rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter and his exceptional skills.
During his Big Play Slay show, Slay exclaimed, "I know ya'll heard the report about Jalen Carter, man, breaking the sled. I'm talking about buddy is strong. I'm not going to compare him to who I want to compare him to, but I've been around a lot of great [defensive] tackles. I've been around [Ndamukong] Suh, Haloti Ngata, Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave. I've been around a great group of guys who play defensive tackle, man, and I'm trying to tell you, Jalen Carter, this kid is just very, very dominant, man. He's very physical, quicker than what you think, and stronger than how he looks."
While Slay refrained from comparing Carter to a specific player, he did draw a comparison to a particular beast.
"He looks like a baby rhino," Slay described. "You ever seen a baby rhino and you just [think] he's crazy, I'm talking about he's pushing folks back. You can ask Lane Johnson. Lane Johnson said it himself, one of the best tackles in the game, said this guy is ready to play right now and is ready to take control of a game right now. He's a game-changer."
Jalen Carter, a highly-touted defender from Georgia, landed at No. 9 in the draft. The Eagles moved up one spot to secure him despite an off-field racing incident that caused a crash and multiple fatalities. While other teams hesitated, Philadelphia seized the opportunity.
"Man, I'm glad he fell to us because I'd hate for us to have to go against that kid, because that kid is very special," Slay expressed. "He's got a chance to be amazing, man, he's got a great, great chance to be an amazing [player], and I'm looking forward to it because he is a dog. And I don't mean the school he went to, I'm talking about literally a dog."
Slay also revealed that Carter has been excelling in training camp, overpowering double teams. Additionally, he has displayed remarkable quickness and disruptive skills during preseason games.
This ability to disrupt plays is invaluable for any defense. Aside from recording sacks, a player who can blow things up and disrupt the opposing team's strategy can create opportunities for the other 10 players to rally to the ball.
"Quick off the line, quarterback hurry, almost got a sack, third-down stop — that's what I need, that's a DB's dream," Slay praised Carter's performance in the preseason game against the Ravens. "I'm not trying to cover long, so if they're doing their job good, my job is going to be good."
With Jalen Carter on board, the Eagles are poised to excel. As the defending NFC Champions, they may not skip a beat from their impressive 2022 season. In fact, they could potentially surpass their previous performance. Carter's disruptive abilities could even pose a threat to high-powered offenses like the Kansas City Chiefs, putting the Eagles in a prime position to become only the second team since the 1972 Dolphins to lose a Super Bowl and then return the following year to secure victory.
