Eagles DT Jalen Carter 'ready to be better than' impressive rookie campaign

Much like his Philadelphia Eagles, defensive tackle Jalen Carter got off to a blazing start in 2023.

Carter’s performance towards the end of the campaign wasn’t as consistently impressive as it was at the beginning, mirroring Philly’s overall less pronounced but noticeable decline down the stretch.

The player selected in the first round of 2023 is concentrating on his physical conditioning this spring, hoping to maintain his strength throughout the 2024 season. He believes this could greatly enhance his performance, especially after having a challenging rookie season.

“My first year was OK,” Carter said earlier this week, via NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro. “It wasn’t how I wanted it to end. A lot of stuff that I seen on film is stuff I need to fix. It’s OK. We here now and I’m ready to be better than last year.”

The ninth selection of the 2023 NFL Draft, Carter lived up to high expectations overall, finishing as the runner-up to the Houston Texans’ Will Anderson in Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Carter recorded 33 tackles, six sacks, nine QB hits, eight tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in 16 games.

In his initial five games, Carter was formidable with 12 tackles, four losses, four quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks. However, his last 11 games showed a significant drop in performance with only 2.5 sacks, four losses, five quarterback hits, and zero forced fumbles.

With the retirement of Fletcher Cox, Carter’s reps look to increase. Thus, to account for that and likely to combat last year’s drop-off, the 315-pounder has been working on building up his stamina during the spring.

Carter stated that his main focus during the organized team activities has been on conditioning. He expressed his preference for conditioning over honing his technique, considering they have the whole year to work on the latter. He mentioned that they practice their technique daily, specifically on hand movements and pass rushes.

You don’t really focus much on conditioning. However, I prioritized conditioning more than hand movement and similar exercises.

Last season, Philadelphia experienced a notorious decline, starting the year with a 5-0 record, only to end with a disappointing string of five losses in their last six games. This slump led to a decisive postseason defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Carter undoubtedly had a promising first year, increased production from him towards the end of the campaign could have been beneficial.

The second-year Defensive Tackle is aiming to incorporate some spring cardio into his routine, hoping to achieve a better outcome in his second year.