Eagles draft: Could the Birds target Georgia’s Jalen Carter as a Javon Hargrave replacement?

For the second time in as many years, the Eagles will enter the NFL draft with defensive tackle high on their list of needs.

Even with second-year nose tackle Jordan Davis expected to see an uptick in playing time and Fletcher Cox re-signing with the team, the Eagles still have no clear replacement for Javon Hargrave’s 11 sacks and his versatility rushing from multiple spots on the interior.

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This year’s class of interior rushers isn’t as deep as last year’s group, but its top prospect is as good as anyone to come out over the last few years. Here’s a breakdown of the top interior defensive line prospects who could be available for the Eagles:

Jalen Carter, Georgia

Carter is arguably the best player in this draft at any position. He was a difference-maker for multiple years in college and figures to be a handful in the NFL pretty much right away because of his explosiveness off the ball and ability to power through interior linemen.

He’s got long arms, heavy hands, and quick feet, a combination that give him a legitimate All-Pro ceiling. In the Eagles’ case, the 6-foot-3, 314-pound Carter would be an ideal fit alongside Davis not just because the two were teammates at Georgia, but because of Carter’s ability to wreak havoc as a three-technique or at the 4i-technique on the inside shoulder of the tackle. Davis allows the Eagles to prioritize athletes at the other defensive-tackle positions and Carter fits that bill considerably.

The only reason Carter might not be one of the first two or three players selected is because of a now-settled legal situation and the lingering concerns surrounding it. Carter was sentenced to serve 12 months of probation after entering no contest pleas to misdemeanor charges tied to his involvement in a fatal January car crash that killed one of his teammates and a Georgia football staff member. He left the NFL Scouting Combine after the news of the charges broke, but returned the next day. According to several media reports, Carter showed up to Georgia’s pro day a month later out of shape and unable to finish drills.

Interviews will understandably be of massive importance for each team considering Carter early in the first round. The Eagles had the defensive tackle in for a visit and are doing their due diligence on him during the predraft process. If teams are confident in Carter’s ability to avoid future mistakes, there’s no way he’ll fall out of the top 10.

Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

Kancey is an undersized interior rusher from the University of Pittsburgh who overcomes his smaller frame with elite physical traits.

Sound familiar?

It is never a good idea to compare a draft prospect to one of the greatest players in NFL history, but there are at least some common threads between Kancey and Aaron Donald.

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Just under 6-1 with shorter arms and weighing in at 281, Kancey is an outlier in terms of size. His tape is impressive, though, and he has production to go with it. According to Pro Football Focus, Kancey had 47 pressures and eight sacks last season and was the site’s highest-graded interior rusher. He won’t be a fit for every team because of his size and lack of ability to anchor against the run. But for the Eagles, Kancey could be an ideal fit as a Hargrave replacement tasked with situational pass-rushing from specific alignments.

Kancey has a remarkably high ceiling as a pass rusher, but he may never be solid against the run. His best-case scenario is becoming a player who can’t be trusted on early downs.

His range is difficult to figure because he won’t fit every team and he’s a high-risk, high-reward prospect, but he figures to be on the Eagles’ radar.

Bryan Bresee, Clemson

Whoever takes Bresee is making a bet on his traits and athleticism eventually resulting in a difference-making player at the next level. He’s 6-5 and 298 pounds and ran a 4.86-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.

Bresee flashed serious potential in three years at Clemson, showing a quick first step and an ability to get past opposing linemen with either speed or power.

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Still, Bresee was never quite the consistently dominant player you’d like to see from a first-round defensive tackle prospect. He had 3 ½ sacks last year while dealing with a shoulder injury, and a knee injury ended his 2021 season after just four games. Bresee also played through family tragedy in 2022; his 15-year-old sister Ella died of brain cancer last September.

The defensive tackle will need to develop true pass-rushing moves at the next level and durability concerns are fair after the knee and shoulder injuries. That said, there’s still plenty to like about Bresee as a possible option late in the first round or early on Day 2.

Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Few players boosted their draft stock as much as Adebawore did last month at the scouting combine. The defensive tackle prospect ran a mind-numbing 4.49-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, 282 pounds and finished in the 85th percentile or better in almost every athletic-testing category.

Adebawore’s upside is more apparent in his testing numbers and in splash plays than production. He had five sacks for Northwestern last year, but some of his best reps at the Senior Bowl last January were frightening. He’s got a lightning-quick first step and can walk interior linemen back in a hurry on his way to the quarterback. His range begins somewhere in the second round, although his testing could make him one of the first guys off the board on Day 2.

The former Wildcat also has some positional versatility as either a heavy edge setter or a twitchy interior rusher. If a team can teach him to maximize his physical tools, he could be a true difference-maker in the NFL.

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

Benton is a stout defensive tackle with violent hands and an impressive motor who should be available midway through Day 2.

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The 6-4, 309-pound interior rusher plays with great energy and finishes plays that most defensive tackles would have tapped out on. He uses a club move with great effectiveness and mixes in some swims and spin moves as well. He has some positional versatility, but would be best utilized as a three-technique or as a 3-4 defensive end on early downs.

Benton’s production isn’t eye-popping (28 pressures and 4 ½ sacks last season). His athletic testing was solid — he was in the 80th percentile or better in the broad jump and three-cone drills, but nothing about his profile should cement him as a top-50 pick. When the Eagles are on the board in the second round, Benton could make a lot of sense.

Mazi Smith, Michigan

The Eagles don’t have much need for a nose tackle with Jordan Davis already in the building, but the 6-3, 323-pound Smith could still be worth exploring. The interior rusher was listed No. 1 in The Athletic’s annual “freaks list,” which chronicles the most bizarrely athletic players in college football.

He was primarily used as a run stuffer for Michigan, lining up over the center in a four-point stance most of the time. He had some snaps as a three-technique as well, where his strength was on display. Any team drafting Smith to play somewhere other than head-up on the center will have to glean whether he can unlock more explosiveness out of a three-point stance with the freedom to get upfield rather than plug gaps. If the Eagles feel he can do that, Smith would give them another special athlete to pair with Davis on what would be a gargantuan interior defensive line.