Josh McDaniels ‘denies Raiders have taken Jalen Carter off their draft board’ due to car crash ties

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels appeared to deny that the organization is removing Georgia star Jalen Carter from its recruiting board due to his ties to the tragic January 15 car accident.

Carter, 21, reached a plea deal after he was booked for reckless driving and racing on March 1 in connection with the car crash that claimed the lives of teammate Devin Willock and staff member the Bulldogs, Chandler LeCroy.

Speculation began Thursday when The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported that the Raiders were no longer interested in taking Carter in the draft due to his connections to the fatal Jan. 15 car crash.

But Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that head coach McDaniels has shut down that rumor.

I just spoke with Josh McDaniels and he reiterated what he told reporters about Jalen Carter on Monday. Bonsignore tweeted.

The top draft prospect, Jalen Carter, was booked for reckless driving in Athens earlier this month.

Georgia football player Devin Willock and staff member Chandler LeCroy died in the January crash

“Contrary to a recent report, the @Raiders are doing their due diligence on Carter, who remains on their draft board,” Bonsignore tweeted. “Carter will meet with the Raiders as one of his 30 visits in April.”

Carter was once projected to be a high first-round pick, but he has stumbled in recent weeks after a disappointing pro day and his guilty plea on reckless driving charges.

The 21-year-old will not spend any jail time after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges related to the fatal Jan. 15 car crash that killed Willock and LeCroy. Instead, he received 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service, and a required driver’s course.

Former Cleveland Browns general manager Michael Lombardi recently said that NFL teams considering signing Carter should think twice.

Referring to another Georgia defensive tackle, New England Patriots Hall of Famer Richard Seymour, Lombardi explained that Carter represents a risk to any team considering taking him as a top-10 pick.

“A lot of concern,” Lombardi said. TMZ. ‘You want this guy to become the captain of your team. When you pick a player like this in the top 10, you want him to become Richard Seymour. You want him to become a Hall of Fame player. You want to hit

He has many questions to answer.

Carter missed a portion of the scouting combine in Indianapolis while turning himself in to Athens police on the reckless driving charge, only injuring himself further at last week’s Georgia Pro Day.

In addition to LeCroy, 24, the Bulldogs’ scouting coordinator, and Willock, 20, a promising offensive lineman, another recruiting staffer, Tory Bowles, 26, and a 21-year-old offensive lineman. Warren McClendon was also injured in the January 15 crash.

He failed to finish in positional drills, after weighing nine pounds heavier than he did at the NFL combine last month.

Not only had he gained nine pounds since the scouting combine, but he was unable to finish several exercises and refused to participate in other events.

But the biggest problem remains Carter’s link to the fatal crash, which police say involved her running through the streets of Athens “at high speed” before LeCroy crashed a school vehicle, killing herself and Willock and injuring two others. .

It has since been revealed that Carter was previously pulled over and cited for speeding on September 22, 2022.

Carter was a member of Georgia’s back-to-back title-winning teams. He and his teammates celebrated their most recent championship with a parade in Athens on January 14 before the fatal crash in the early hours of January 15.