The Eagles have one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, but they still lack elite talent under the age of 25. That could change next spring after the team added Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
PFF released their annual ranking of the top 25 players under 25 entering the 2024 NFL season, and the Birds had one player make the list.
22. DI JALEN CARTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Off-field issues likely led to Carter sliding in the 2023 NFL Draft as the ninth-overall pick, because on the field he was among the better players at his position from Week 1.Carter picked up nine quarterback pressures in his very first game against the Patriots, which was tied for the second most in an outing by a rookie all season. In the end, he earned an 87.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked sixth among interior defenders.
Last season, Carter got off to a blistering hot start.
Through Week 9, Carter had generated 29 pressures (tied for eighth in the league among interior defensive linemen) according to Pro Football Focus, including four sacks and 20 hurries.
A Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, Carter started just one game and played 51 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, but the ninth overall pick in the 2023 Draft was third on the team in sacks and fifth among all rookies.
During the first half of last season, Carter was dominant while playing 49% of the defensive snaps (despite missing Week 6 against the New York Jets with an injury), second among Eagles defensive tackles behind only Fletcher Cox.
His production fell off down the stretch.
Carter finished his rookie year with 6.0 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown) in 16 regular-season games.