Former Georgia defensive tackle and top NFL draft pick Jalen Carter will reportedly not be jailed after he pleaded no contest in his reckless driving and racing case on Thursday Seth Emerson of The Athletic.
Carter will reportedly receive 12 months probation, pay a $1,000 fine, do 80 hours of community service and take a driving course as his punishment.
Carter was involved in a Jan. 15 car accident that killed two people — Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and teammate Chandler LeCroy. A warrant was issued for Carter’s arrest while he was at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on March 5. Carter was arrested and released after posting bail earlier Wednesday night he returned to Indianapolis on Thursday.
Reports point to Carter was present at the scene of the accident, exited the vehicle before rescue workers arrived and returned about 90 minutes later at the request of the police, but gave mixed accounts of the wreckage when an Athens police officer questioned him if he had been driving the car that had crashed .”
Kim Stephens, Carter’s attorney, said in a statement Thursday Carter “did not cause the tragic accident” and “would have been charged with the far more serious offenses of vehicular murder and serious injury by a vehicle” if he had. She added that Carter “never left the scene of an accident without being told to leave” and “at the time of the accident, he was not drinking and was not under the influence of alcohol or any other illegal substance.”
Carter’s Draft Stock
Shortly after reports of Carter’s arrest warrant surfaced, Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald asked NFL scouts how this news could affect the 2023 draft. Carter was considered – and still is considered – to be one of the best candidates, and some thought he could be No. 1 in April.
A scout told McDonald at the time that Carter was “special enough to survive something like this If this is the worst news,” while another said his situation was more like “wait and see.” With no jail sentence, this seems to be one of the more positive outcomes of Carter’s case.
However, Carter may have to wait a little longer before his name is called on draft night. Carter didn’t look well on his pro day this week, where he reportedly struggled to finish positional exercises and weighed 9 pounds heavier than the 314 he weighed at the combine.
The No. 1 pick also changed hands after the Carolina Panthers moved up from No. 9 to acquire the top pick from the Chicago Bears — likely to draft a quarterback. Three other teams with top-10 picks could also pick a quarterback, leaving Carter with only a handful of options in a draft full of other top-end defensive prospects.
Source : sports.yahoo.com