Potential No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Pick Issues Statement On Arrest Warrants

Jalen Carter encountered a roadblock on his path to the 2023 NFL Draft.

Carter on Wednesday was listed as the subject of an arrest warrant filed by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. The highly touted defensive line prospect was implicated by law enforcement for racing and driving recklessly in the mid-January car crash that claimed the lives of a former Georgia teammate as well as a Bulldogs staffer.

A few hours after news of the warrants broke, Carter put out a statement.

“This morning I received a telephone call from the Athens Georgia Police Department informing me that two misdemeanor warrants have been issued against me for reckless driving and racing,” the statement read. “Numerous media reports also have circulated this morning containing inaccurate information concerning the tragic events of Jan. 15, 2023. It is my intention to return to Athens to answer the misdemeanor charges against me and to make certain that the complete and accurate truth is presented. There is no question in my mind that when all of the facts are known that I will be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing.”

Carter’s odds to be selected first overall April 27 dramatically shifted after his legal troubles surfaced. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had Carter going fourth overall in his latest mock draft.