The Jalen Carter reason Eagles didn't replace Fletcher Cox. Why he's No. 2 most interesting

Here's what the Eagles could have done after Fletcher Cox announced his retirement in March: spent lavishly on a defensive tackle in free agency, such as Christian Wilkins or D.J. Reader.

Here's why the Eagles didn't do anything at the position despite Cox's prolific career: Jalen Carter.

The Eagles got a taste of the force Carter can be as a rookie last season. Carter had six sacks, but admittedly faded down the stretch of a long season.

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Assuming Carter is in top condition, something he said he and Jordan Davis worked diligently on during the offseason, there's no reason he can't be as dominant as Cox was in his prime.

Cox was selected to the Pro Bowl in each season from 2015-20. Even last season, Cox was still the Eagles' best defensive tackle, with 5.5 sacks while leading the unit by playing 59% of the defensive snaps. This is what the Eagles desperately need this season from Carter, who played 48% of the snaps.

It's reasonable to expect that. After all, the Eagles drafted Carter No. 9 overall in 2023 when he was considered among the top few players in the draft. But a tragic car crash, in which he was cited for racing and reckless driving, and conditioning concerns at his Pro Day, led to his slide down to the Eagles.

Carter said he knew what he needed to work on during the offseason. It certainly wasn't adjusting to the size and speed of NFL offensive linemen, whom Carter at times tossed around like a rag doll. Rather, it was his conditioning.

The same is true of Davis, who was the Eagles' first-round pick in 2022, and also admitted to fading down the stretch last season.

"I’m very comfortable. I was comfortable last year," Carter said. "I didn’t have too much pressure on my back, especially with Fletcher and all them guys giving me a lot of confidence."

That's why Carter is No. 2 in our countdown of the top 9 Eagles' most interesting players heading into the 2024 season, which officially kicks off Tuesday with the start of training camp.

If you subscribe to the theory that players progress most from Year 1 to Year 2, well, defensive line coach Clint Hurtt has already seen that from Carter during the spring.

Hurtt should know. He was the Seahawks' defensive coordinator in 2023, and he spent plenty of time scouting Carter for the draft. The Seahawks picked No. 5, and they went with cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

"It’s always tough when those decisions are made," Hurtt said. "I think both of them have unbelievable talent and ability and have bright futures ahead. So it’s pretty cool getting the opportunity to coach (Carter) now. He’s maturing and coming along. I’ve been really pleased with the development so far.

"I’ll tell you this: He’s almost a year into it, so naturally as they continue to mature, they learn their way around the NFL. He had the benefit of being around two great vets with Fletch and (Brandon) Graham. So he’s learned a lot since I spent time with him at the Combine process."

It would be natural to think Carter would take some time off this offseason after a final year of college that ended with a second straight national championship at Georgia. That led to the workouts for the NFL combine and Pro Day followed by the draft, spring practices, training camp, a 17-game season and the playoffs.

Carter didn't see it that way.

"Oh, no," he said. "Football is my job. I’m ready to play 24-7, just like it was in college."

The Eagles are counting on that.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.