Jalen Carter 2023 NFL Draft odds: Georgia defensive tackle favored to be picked by Chicago Bears, now at No. 9

Every year, there's at least one player mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft whose stock plummets for one reason or another. Georgia All-American defensive tackle Jalen Carter was favored months ago to be the top pick in Thursday's 2023 draft by the Bears. However, Carter's stock has fallen in part due to an arrest, and the Bears traded out of the first overall pick to No. 9 in a deal with Carolina. Chicago might still get Carter regardless, as it is the -275 favorite at DraftKings to be the team that selects him.

Would Carter serve as a fit as in coach Matt Eberflus' 3-4 defense in Chicago? On paper, he would appear to be ideally suited for that role in the middle of the line as a run-stuffer who can also get after the quarterback. Georgia's defense allowed just 12.2 points per game over the past two seasons, powering the team to back-to-back national titles. In that span, Carter led the Bulldogs in quarterback pressures (66), hurries (48) and tackles for loss (15.5).

Carter is given an over/under draft position of 7.5 at Caesars Sportsbook, with the Under a -140 favorite --  meaning Carter is favored to be off the board at No. 8. Detroit, currently picking sixth, is +400 to be the team that drafts Carter, along with Philadelphia at No. 10. Seattle at No. 5 is +425. Note that the prop doesn't correspond with which spot Carter is chosen at, but which team takes him. There's a lot of scuttlebutt that the Seahawks won't pass on Carter if they stay at No.5 and he's there.

NFL.com gives the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Carter a grade of 7.05, which equates to "Pro Bowl talent" and an NFL comp of Jeffery Simmons, a two-time All-Pro for the Tennessee Titans and the No. 19 pick in 2019.

The Bears were last in the NFL in 2022 in points allowed (27.3), opponents' third-down conversion percentage (49.0) and in sacks 920). It was the first time Chicago allowed the most points in the league since 1945. GM Ryan Poles is likely to address the defense in this draft, just perhaps not at No. 9 overall. Caesars favors the Bears to select an offensive lineman at -170 with their first pick and defensive lineman next at +180.

Drew Rosenhaus, Carter's agent, recently shut down visits for Carter with teams that are drafting outside of the top 10, which is a sign that at the Rosenhaus believes Carter will go in that range. DraftKings doesn't even offer odds on Carter for a top-10 pick. He's +350 for the top 5. CBS Sports ranks Carter as the No. 3 overall prospect.

Three Georgia defensive linemen went in Round 1 last year: Travon Walker at No. 1 to Jacksonville, Jordan Davis at No. 13 to Philadelphia and Devonte Wyatt at No. 28 to Green Bay. Both Davis and Wyatt said Carter was better than them while they were still playing in Athens.

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