3 worst-case scenarios for the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL draft

Worst-case scenario No. 3: The Seahawks take Jalen Carter whose issues don't go away

I really hope Jalen Carter gets drafted, becomes a great player for some team and becomes a leader in the locker room and in the community. But Carter is a potential boom or bust prospect. Let's assume the Seahawks take him at pick 5 and then he has an offseason of off-field issues.

In a recent interview on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Carter and his agent, mostly his agent, Drew Rosenhaus addressed the incident in January where Carter was charged with drag racing in a sitaution where the other car crashed and two people lost their lives. Rosenhaus said the incident shouldn't define Carter and to some degree this is true. But Rosenhaus also said Carter did not have a history of driving at high rates of speed and this is simply wrong. Carter appears to be a little reckless so can he be trusted by a team investing millions into him?

Again, I hope Carter joins the NFL and never has any issues. I don't know the guy, obviously, so I don't know if he is a good guy or not a good one, but anyone can see he has a recent history, including a bad pro day, of making not making the best decisions. Taking him at all is a risk, but if he is chosen at pick 5 and doesn't work out, that sets a franchise back for along time.

The Seahawks do need an interior defensive lineman who can stop the run and get interior pressure on quarterbacks. Carter appears to have this ability. If he joins the Seahawks, hopefully he is great. But in a worst-case scenario, he could be the next Malik McDowell.