Do the Philadelphia Eagles have their own Chris Jones on their hands? One Super Bowl-winning defender believes so when he looks at Jalen Carter, especially after the trench dominance on display against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Monday’s 25-11 Eagles win.
Tyrann Mathieu Believes Jalen Carter Is Comparable to Former Kansas City Chiefs Teammate
New Orleans Saints safety/cornerback Tyrann Mathieu once played with the two-time Super Bowl winner Jones when both were with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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The three-time Pro Bowl selection sees similarities in the perennial Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman.
“Jalen Carter has Chris Jones ability. He’ll be around for a long time!” Mathieu posted on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account when watching the Monday Night Football battle of unbeatens.
Jalen Carter has Chris Jones ability. He’ll be around for a long time!
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) September 26, 2023
Carter showed the same freakish snap explosion, weight-room-built strength, and furious tenacity he got drafted for in front of the MNF audience. But, he also showed his hustle in forcing this takeaway for the Eagles.
Jalen Carter is a problem 😤
That’s two forced turnovers by the #Eagles in the last three offensive snaps by the #Buccaneers 👀 pic.twitter.com/Y4dtnTi2Ki
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 26, 2023
Then, the first-year player from Georgia bulled through his blocker and got Baker Mayfield on the run.
Eagles rookie Jalen Carter wrecking a play early here.
Neither he, nor Reddick, could land the sack, but Carter bulldozes through the OL and leads to no gain. pic.twitter.com/bwB8bUsf0x
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) September 25, 2023
He then fortified this brick wall for the Eagles that ended with two extra points for the visitors as the defensive tackle aligned to the Bucs’ right.
Running into a brick wall! The #Eagles continue to play strong in the trenches tonight. pic.twitter.com/YHweHDws4E
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 26, 2023
Others React to Carter’s Night and Fast Start
Mathieu believes the Eagles have the new Chris Jones. But who else is high on Carter?
One is former NFL player Ross Tucker. The past offensive lineman turned radio personality gave this strong thought after watching Carter versus the Bucs.
Jalen Carter really might be a Pro Bowler as a rookie 😳
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) September 26, 2023
Tucker, who bounced between guard and center, even sent out his well wishes to anyone who dares to try to stop Carter by themselves.
“Good luck to all the centers blocking Carter one on one in pass pro when the Eagles go 5 down,” Tucker posted.
Other analysts like Bradon Deacon of the X account NFL Rookie Watch pointed out how eight different NFL teams passed over Carter. But now he looks like a top-five NFL defensive tackle.
Jalen Carter WRECKED yet another game and played less than 50% of the defensive snaps:
• 5 total pressures (most on team)
• 0.5 sacks
• 1 QB hit
• 1 forced fumble
• 2 total tacklesCarter already looks like a Top-5 DT in the NFL and will only continue to get better.
Still… pic.twitter.com/TobGktuSlL
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 26, 2023
And one reason why Carter was taken by the Eagles? The team had lost prized inside pass rusher Javon Hargrave to the San Francisco 49ers. The reigning NFC champs needed someone younger and eerily similar. Coincidentally, three games into his young NFL career, Carter is close to “Gravedigger” in this stat presented by Next Gen Stats:
Jalen Carter finished with a team-high 5 pressures on 16 pass rushes in the @Eagles Week 3 win over the Buccaneers (31.3% pressure rate).
Through the first three weeks, the rookie is tied for 2nd among defensive tackles in total pressures (15).
Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/ApgxE6bLEX
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 26, 2023
Carter ended his night with two tackles, one solo stop, 0.5 sacks, and freeing up his fellow Eagles defenders to deliver four team tackles behind the line of scrimmage. And in the process, gained a new fan in a three-time Pro Bowl defender who witnessed someone identical wrecking the trenches.