Jalen Carter isn't content to chase down only quarterbacks and ball-carriers.
The Eagles defensive tackle also has his sights set on the NFL's best at his position, and he fully intends to close whatever gap still exists.
“I know who’s good and I know who everybody loves,” Carter said this week, via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro. “Dexter Lawrence, Chris Jones. All of them. I see it, but at the end of the day, I’m still grinding and just doing my own thing. If my name pops up, then I guess congratulations to me. Just keep going.”
Given his improvement and play over his first two NFL seasons, there's plenty of reason to believe Carter will soon cement himself among the Lawrences and Joneses of the NFL.
The No. 9 overall pick from the 2023 draft, Carter reached his first Pro Bowl in 2024 on the way to winning Super Bowl LIX with Philadelphia. He was recognized as a second-team All-Pro interior lineman along with the Broncos' Zach Allen; Jones and the Steelers' Cameron Heyward took home first-team honors.
Those two, with 23 combined seasons between them, have produced years of consistent play to ingratiate themselves with NFL fans and evaluators, and they rightfully belong in conversations about dominant D-line play.
“I wanted to be the best at what I do, try to be the best. I’m not there yet," Carter said. "I still got a lot of people in front of me that’s obviously been in the league a couple [more] years, got years of experience on me. But I’m just going to keep grinding every day. Not just me by myself working on specific things to get better, just being around the team having the guys support me also makes me also be one of the best in the league.”
Although Carter's sack totals dropped from 6.5 as a rookie to four in 2024, he played a more well-rounded game and put a relentless motor on display. He posted a career-high 42 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, with two forced fumbles and six passes defensed after failing to bat down any the season prior. His 711 pass-rushing snaps led the league by a wide margin -- 42, per PFF.
Part of Carter's evolution heading into Year 3 must include continuing to showcase year-over-year improvement and boosting his efficiency.
He was top 10 in total pressures generated with 78, but his win percentage (12.9) lagged far behind Jones (19.8) and even a pair of interior linemen on his own team -- Milton Williams (18.4) and Moro Ojomo (18.1).
It's worth noting Williams and Ojomo had much smaller sample sizes -- their combined 760 pass-rushing snaps were only 49 more than Carter had alone -- but it can still be a motivating factor for the budding star.
And the Eagles are going to need a supercharged Carter during their quest for a repeat. Philly lost Williams and its 2024 sack leader, Josh Sweat, to free agency. Veteran Brandon Graham retired, and the team also traded Bryce Huff to the 49ers.
That leaves Carter in an elevated position of leadership.
Another leap from him would do wonders for the Eagles, much like it would for Carter in his goal to be mentioned among the elites.
“Just keep winning,” Carter said of how he can continue his ascent. “Keep winning 1-on-1s, double-teams, making an impact in the game and doing what I did last year but even better.”