NFL Draft primer: Could Steelers make move for embattled but talented Jalen Carter?

The Jalen Carter saga is the biggest subplot weighing on the first day of the NFL Draft, and its reach has extended all the way to the middle of the opening round and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers were brought into the conversation this week by noted NBC columnist Peter King, who wrote that the “best rumor” was them trading from No. 17 to No. 9 — the Chicago Bears’ pick — if Carter is still on the board.

“There could not be a more perfect coach for Carter than Mike Tomlin,” King wrote.

Until March 1, Carter and the Steelers never would have been connected in the same sentence. The 22-year-old defensive lineman from Georgia arguably was the best player in the entire draft and a consideration at No. 1 overall.

Then, Carter was charged with reckless driving and racing in connection with the January crash that killed a Bulldogs teammate and recruiting staffer. In mid-March, Carter avoided jail time by pleading no contest. He faces 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service.

“He is a tricky one — to say the least,” said former Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik, who works as an NFL analyst for Sirius/XM. “Obviously, the talent is elite. I mean, there’s not very many defensive tackles you see in this draft class alone. It’s not a heavy defensive tackle class, so it makes him stand even more out on the ledge.”

How far out is the question.

Not surprisingly, the charges caused Carter’s draft stock to drop — with analysts wondering how far in the first round he might fall. Speculation only intensified when Carter couldn’t finish position drills at Georgia’s pro day after reportedly putting on nine pounds in the two weeks following the NFL Combine.

In an effort to stop the negative momentum, Carter’s agent, the famed Drew Rosenhaus, said Carter only would take official top-30 visits with teams holding the first 10 picks.

Rosenhaus’ approach may be working. Noted draft analysts such as the ESPN duo of Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah predict Carter will go either No. 5 to Seattle or No. 6 to Detroit. Which, of course, would ruin King’s scenario of Carter falling to No. 9 and the Steelers moving up to select him.

“Talent — right or wrong — always wins the day over character issues as long as those character issues aren’t something that are going to create a problem,” McShay said. “Whichever team in the top 10 is comfortable that they have the right environment and right leadership around him. …

“I’ll be shocked. … He won’t get out of the top 10. … I’ll be really surprised if he doesn’t go five or six. He’s that talented and dominant.”

Carter left Georgia after his junior season after the Bulldogs won their second national championship in a row. As a sophomore, he had three sacks, 8 1/2 tackles for loss and blocked two kicks while starting just twice in 15 games. He started nine games and appeared in three others last season while being nagged by injuries. He totaled seven tackles for loss, three sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

“He was the best player in college football when he was healthy,” Kiper said. “He’s a dominant interior presence.”

But Carter’s showing at Georgia’s pro day left scouts wondering about his commitment to the sport.

“Jalen, I think, loves the game,” Dominik said. “You’ve just got to decide whether you trust the player or not.”

McShay isn’t surprised some NFL executives may be skeptical of taking Carter so high in the draft.

“The football stuff is concerning because the practice habits aren’t there,” he said. “Story after story, and all sorts of things have come out with the background checks.”

Faced with an aging defensive line, the Steelers could look for Cameron Heyward’s eventual successor in this class. They conducted official visits with five linemen, including three Jeremiah included in his list of top 50 prospects: Georgia Tech’s Keion White, Clemson’s Bryan Bresee and Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton. Another possibility is Pitt’s Calijah Kancey, who is expected to go in the first round.

None, of course, carries the type of off-field baggage — or talent — Carter will tote into the draft.