A year that included many firsts for Eagles rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter culminated with his first end-of-season honor.
Carter has been named to the 2023 Pro Football Writers of America's All-Rookie Team. He was one of four defensive linemen selected on Tuesday.
This marks the second consecutive season that an Eagles defensive tackle was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after Jordan Davis was selected in 2022.
The Pro Football Writers of America voted to select 27 rookies to their All-Rookie Team comprised of the best first-year players from the 2023 season. They also awarded a Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was selected as the overall and Offensive Rookie of the Year, and his teammate Will Anderson Jr. was chosen as the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Carter was drafted by the Eagles with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia. The defensive tackle came to the City of Brotherly Love with high expectations, and he did not disappoint.
In 16 games (one start), Carter recorded 30 tackles, 47 quarterback pressures, nine quarterback hits, and six sacks in 563 defensive snaps. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.
Carter tied Derrick Burgess in 2001 for the second-most sacks (6) by an Eagles rookie, trailing only Corey Simon in 2000 (9.5).
The rookie's explosiveness stood out all season.
Per Next Gen Stats, Carter's get-off rate of 0.86 was the best amongst rookie defensive tackles and tied for second in the league with Chris Jones, just behind Aaron Donald. His 47 quarterback pressures were tied for the most by a rookie defensive tackle and his 24 quick pressures were the most by a rookie at his position.
Opposing teams noticed Carter's dominance along the defensive line early on. The 22-year-old was double-teamed at the second-highest rate (47.5%) for defensive rookies in 2023.
While many will commend Carter for his pass-rush abilities, he quietly became a strong run defender over the year, proving that he is a versatile weapon for the Eagles. Per Pro Football Focus, Carter's 25.2% positive run grade rate was the best amongst qualifying rookie defensive linemen.
To make Carter's first season in Midnight Green even more special, he scored his first career touchdown in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. After his 42-yard fumble return score, Carter became the second Eagles rookie defensive tackle since 1950 to return a fumble for a score (Kevin Johnson on October 29, 1995, vs. St. Louis).
Carter is a candidate for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, which will be presented at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, February 8.
