‘Georgia Philly Dawgs’: Eagles draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith are tied together upon arrival

Seated side by side atop the stage from inside the NovaCare Complex, Eagles first-round draft picks Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith relished their moment together on Friday evening.

Less than 24 hours prior, the University of Georgia pass-rusher duo was reunited in the pros when the Eagles traded up to select Carter at No. 9 overall, while Smith slipped to them at No. 30.

Roughly two months after the Eagles made a memorable run to Super Bowl LVII, they retooled their roster with Carter and Smith, who many inside the team’s headquarters hope develop into franchise cornerstones. It marks the second consecutive year the Eagles have drafted a pair of Georgia prospects after having taken Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in 2022.

“We’ve got a lot of Georgia Philly Dawgs,” Smith said while flashing a wide smile. “It’s going to be great...I’m blessed to be here. I would say I got the best opportunity of all. I’m playing with three of my teammates and I just won back-to-back national championships with this one.”

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Right as he finished his thought, Smith glanced to his right toward Carter, extended his hand, and they embraced.

“That connection piece at Georgia is real,” Smith said. “It’s not lip service.”

The past several months leading up to the draft have been tumultuous, particularly for Carter. At the beginning of March, he faced misdemeanor charges for reckless driving and racing because of his involvement in a fatal car crash that led to the deaths of Georgia teammate Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter accepted a deal that requires him to serve 12 months of probation and 80 hours of community service. The 2022 AP All-American First-Team and All-SEC selection also struggled to complete his pro day workout.

» READ MORE: What to know about Eagles draft pick Jalen Carter’s ties to the fatal car crash incident in Georgia

On Thursday evening, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the team had vetted Carter’s character throughout the pre-draft process.

“We take that part seriously,” Roseman said of Carter. “We think that it’s important that not only are we caring about people as players, but we want to care about the people. We’re going to wrap our arms around him and do the best we can to help him.”

Said Smith: “I always stood up for him because I know that’s not him. I know Jalen. I call him JC. He’s one of those guys that you can really count on. But not only do his job, but he’ll do his job, plus more and then come dap you up and get everybody hyped up.”

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Over the next several weeks and months, Carter and Smith will be integrated into the organization. They’re expected to participate in rookie minicamp and will join their new teammates for the offseason program.

Even after losing Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, the Eagles have a wealth of riches across the defensive line. They retained a trio of edge rushers in Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham that combined for 38 sacks. The depth chart at interior features veteran Fletcher Cox, Davis, Milton Williams, Kentavius Street, and Marlon Tuipulotu. There are lingering questions about the exact scheme under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, but with the additions of Carter and Smith, the Eagles, who still possess six additional draft picks, are aspiring to create pressure from all angles for many years to come.

“One thing we show at Georgia is we have a culture program,” Smith said. “They believe in the culture here, and you felt that walking into the building. It’s really fun going from a good culture to an even better culture.”

Said Carter: “We had a great connection out of Georgia. And I plan on bringing that to the Philadelphia Eagles. We’re going to have a great connection here and ball out.”