Jalen Carter was the first draft pick to sign a contract, and the former Georgia All-American has been on a mission since sliding to No. 9 overall.
The draft slip was a blessing for the Eagles, and Carter paid dividends immediately in the season opener, earning the highest-graded rookie honors from Pro Football Focus.
1. DI JALEN CARTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: 92.1
The former Georgia Bulldog erupted in his regular-season debut against the Patriots and was the only rookie in Week 1 to earn a 90.0-plus PFF grade. Carter looked nearly unblockable as a pass-rusher, where he won on over 25% of his rushes and finished with eight total pressures, including a sack.
Overall, Carter was dominant in his first outing, finishing with eight pressures, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss in his 32 pass-rushing snaps (25% pressure rate per dropback) per PFF.
Carter’s eight pressures were tied for the most by any player in Week 1 and the most for any rookie in the NFL.
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