2023 NFL draft: Jalen Carter returns to Combine after arrest

Given the uncertainty of his legal jeopardy, there’s no telling how this incident will affect Carter’s draft stock.

In a bit of shocking breaking news earlier in the week, Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter had an arrest warrant issued for him. Carter, who is widely expected to be a Top 5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was arrested, booked and released from jail on Wednesday.

Carter faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing, stemming from a tragic night where Georgia recruitment staffer Chandler LeCroy and Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock lost their lives in a car accident not even a week after the Bulldogs decimated TCU in the National Championship.

Carter was allegedly driving the other car in what appears to be a street race, which took the lives of LeCroy and Willock. According to a statement from Athens-Clarke County Police, LeCroy had a BAC of .197 at the time of the crash.

While Carter complied with the arrest warrant, he was shortly released on $4,000 bail and promptly returned to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Given the uncertainty of his legal jeopardy, there’s no telling how this incident will affect Carter’s draft stock. Should he swiftly clear charges and prove his innocence, as he claims he will, he will likely still hear his name called out by the NFL Commissioner early on draft night. However, if this still lingers, there is a chance he could fall drastically.

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