Jalen Carter vs The HAUL: The Haul Won

Jalen Carter vs The HAUL Revisited: The Haul Won!

Around this time last year, the Bears found themselves with the #1 pick. Fans endured a 3-14 season with limited reasons to be excited watching the team end the season on a losing streak. However, with the Bears sitting in the driver’s seat of the NFL, draft fans were brimming with excitement. They were also split on what we should do with the pick.

-There was the option to trade back from #1 to a QB needy team for a treasure trove of premium draft capital that could help with adding talent and speed up the rebuilding process.

-There were 2 clear top 5 QB picks in Bryce Young & CJ Stroud. Those that wanted to move on from Justin Fields already were hoping one was the choice.

-Then there was Georgia DT Jalen Carter who the consensus felt was “generational” & the BEST player in the entire draft, QBs included.

We all know how the story goes. Carter was charged in a fatal crash with reckless driving and racing. Bears GM Ryan Poles is huge on players having high quality character. He did his due diligence on the situation, including interviewing people from Carter’s hometown. On March 10th, 2023, Ryan Poles made a decision.

The Bears shocked the world & traded back with the Carolina Panthers to the 9th pick in the draft. The haul was massive!!

-DJ Moore

-2023 draft 9th & 61st pick

-2024 1st rd. pick

-2025 2nd rd. pick

Still fans & media analysts who wanted Jalen Carter to be the foundational piece to help the Bears TERRIBLE defense were disappointed. While most praised Ryan Poles for obtaining the haul others felt the trade put them out of reach for Carter. Some blasted Ryan Poles on sports shows & over social media. The haul wasn’t worth passing on a generational talent to them.

On draft day, unexpectedly, the Bears had a 2nd opportunity to draft Jalen Carter. It turns out even those who were looking to draft defensively in the top 8 were out on him, likely due to the off the field drama. He fell all the way to the Bears at the 9th pick.

The Bears passed AGAIN.

This time they traded back with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 10th pick & a 2024 4th round pick. This reopened the wound for those who all but knew the Bears wouldn’t pass on drafting Carter again after he fell in their lap. Even worse, they didn’t like the compensation of a 4th rd. draft pick to allow Eagles to draft a guy of Carter’s talent level.

Now that I’ve refreshed your memory, heres where I make my case as to why “The Haul Won!”

The Chicago Bears went on to draft:

-RT Darnell Wright @ 10.

-Traded up to #56 using the #61 pick from the Panthers trade combined with their own #136 & drafted cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

*Honorable mention: Bears drafted DT Gervon Dexter in the 2nd round @ #53. I only mention this because some like to say the Bears CHOSE Dexter over Carter as if this was a choice based on talent. This was a choice based on CHARACTER+TALENT. Only the most die-hard college & draft fans were familiar with the Bears.

The 2023 Bears draft class was met with mixed reviews, but it did fill major needs for the team. Darnell Wright was considered a reach at 10 by some, while others considered him one of the top tackles in the draft.

Only die-hard college football fans and draft junkies seemed to be familiar with Gervon Dexter & Tyrique Stephenson. Both were also considered somewhat of a reach by the media & fans alike.

Fast forward to the present & we’ve had a full season to evaluate the “Haul vs Jalen Carter”. For the 1st half of the season the only bright spot to the “haul” was the Fields to DJ Moore connection. The players drafted with the 2023 draft picks from the trade back had little-to-no impact during that time. It did not look great for the “Haul” side of the deal.

Darnell Wright, who played much of the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury & allowed 6 sacks.

Tyrique Stevenson looked lost in coverage; offenses picked on him early & often. Gervon Dexter (the “consolation prize” for Jalen Carter) couldn’t earn a starting spot on a bad defensive line void of talent. He seemed to have no issues getting pressure but missed sacks and TFLs because he failed to wrap up. In the NFL & most importantly to Bears fans, almost doesn’t count.

Jalen Carter wasn’t named a starter; however, he had a 2-sack game & racked up 4 total sacks over the 1st half of the season.

Things changed over the 2nd half of the season. Jalen Carter only had 2 sacks over the last 9 games. The Eagles’ defense steeply regressed from the 2022 season. Granted they lost quite a few important pieces during the offseason. Still the media & fans alike thought their draft & their free agency additions in free agency were more than enough to consider the defense restocked.

On the other hand, the Bears 1st 3 picks have taken huge steps forward in the 2nd half of the season. The Chicago Bears defense also turned into a top tier defense over that time frame.

-Darnell Wright allowed only 1 sack since week 12 and played the 9th most snaps at the position per PFF.

-Tyrique Stevenson started 16 out of 16 games. He collected a total of 86 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, & 4 INTS.

The 4 INTs all came after week 11. He also had a 2-interception game WK 17.

-Gervon Dexter played in all 17 games & with 12 QB hits & 2 passes defended. His 2.5 total sacks all came after week 13, including a 1.5 sack game in week 17 vs the Atlanta Falcons.

Last but not least, here are my final reasons: “The Haul Won!”

-The 2024 1st rd. pick acquired in the Panthers trade gives the Bears the #1 pick again.

-DJ Moore showed the world why he’s a true #1 WR with 97 catches & 1,364 yards. DJ Moore is only 26 (27 in April). The Bears paid him $19,965,000 in 2023, they’ll pay him $15,850,00 in 2024, and $14,850,000 in 2025.

Christian Kirk of the Jacksonville Jaguars will cost more over that time period. We acquired a high end WR1 who’s still in his young prime on a value contract.

Here we present to you the final “Jalen Carter vs The Haul” details

-DJ Moore

-2024 #1 overall pick

-2024 4th rd. pick (Eagles trade)

-2025 2nd round pick

-Darnell Wright-Franchise RT

-Tyrique Stevenson-Starting CB2

-Honorable mention- “Consolation prize” DT Gervon Dexter.

In my opinion there’s no doubt which side of this debate won. It’s absolutely “The Haul”. If you say otherwise, I can respect it, but you’d be wrong.