If Philadelphia Eagles NFL All-Pro defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion Jalen Carter wants to see what the standard is for his position — at least in the eyes of NFL executives — he only needs to look within his own division.
NFL executives placed Carter at No. 3 on their lost of the Top 10 interior defensive linemen in rankings released by ESPN, with New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence taking the top spot.
Carter was ranked as high as No. 1 by several executives and no lower than No. 4. He was an honorable mention pick in the 2024 preseason rankings.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones took the No. 2 spot.
One thing that speaks to Carter actually being the most valuable player on the list is that he’s a full 3 years younger than anyone else in the Top 10 at 24 years old.
“A year ago, evaluators around the league projected big things for Carter, who had already shown a knack for beating top-shelf offensive guards at the line,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 8. “He validated that faith with All-Pro second-team honors, a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl ring. Carter’s 4.5 sacks and 8.8% pass rush win rate are not gaudy, but he’s the classic need-to-see-him-in-person player. He’s as disruptive as they come. The only thing keeping him out of the top two is experience.”
Lawrence: Good Stats on Bad Teams All-Star
Lawrence, 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, was the dominant defensive player on a pair of College Football Playoff National Championship teams at Clemson in 2016 and 2018 before the Giants selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
Carter was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft after he won consecutive College Football Playoff National Championships at Georgia in 2021 and 2022.
In 6 NFL seasons, Lawrence is already a 3-time Pro Bowler and 2-time NFL All-Pro, but he’s done it on some pretty terrible teams. The Giants are a mind-numbing 32-67-1 since Lawrence joined the team, with just one winning season and one playoff appearance when they went 9-7-1 in 2020.
The Giants went 3-14 in 2024 as Lawrence missed a career high 5 games due to injury. The team used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft on another defensive lineman with Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Every Dexter Lawrence sack in 2024
Carter Appears Headed Toward Mega-Contract
Lawrence signed a 4-year, $87.5 million contract extension in May 2023 that keeps him on the Giants through the 2027 season and pays him an average annual salary of $22.5 million.
While Lawrence had to wait 4 seasons to get his mega-deal, the Eagles seem to be moving toward paying Carter in the spring of 2026, after just 3 seasons.
Ironically, Carter’s deal could likely be the one that pushes Lawrence off the list of the Top 10 highest paid defensive tackles in the NFL.
“PROJECTION: #Eagles star defensive lineman Jalen Carter is projected to sign a 4-YEAR, $168 MILLION CONTRACT extension when he is eligible next off-season,” MLFootball wrote on its official X account on March 23. “Carter is only 23 years old and is already a Super Bowl Champion, All-Pro & Pro Bowler. It will be a historic deal.”
