When Jalen Carter hears his name called at the NFL Draft in a few weeks, you can all but guarantee at least 1 thing.

There’s going to be a massive exhale.

Given what the Georgia star endured on and off the field during the pre-draft process, one would understand the relief he’ll likely experience when he no longer has to worry about how his stock will be impacted. Of course, there’ll still be questions circling about Carter as someone who could be considered the ultimate “boom or bust” pick.

The game-changing defensive tackle didn’t just have the misdemeanor racing and reckless driving arrest after his alleged role in the tragic crash that took the lives of UGA offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy. Carter didn’t participate in drills at the NFL Combine, and at Georgia’s Pro Day, he weighed in 9 pounds heavier than he was in Indianapolis and he couldn’t finish position drills.

Whoever drafts Carter will do so hoping that the dude who tore up the SEC is simply going through a rough time, and that he didn’t just flash red flags to his future employer.

There’s a path for Carter to have a great NFL career, and it looks a whole lot like the one Laremy Tunsil followed.

Four days after Carter’s frustrating Pro Day showing, Tunsil made history. He signed a 3-year, $75 million contract with $60 million in total guarantees to stay with the Houston Texans and become the highest-paid offensive tackle in NFL history. The former Ole Miss star is set to lead all NFL offensive tackles in average annual salary ($25 million) and more important, he’s a franchise cornerstone for a franchise lacking cornerstones.

It’s remarkable to think what Tunsil has done to move past his pre-draft moment that’ll live in infamy. When the video of Tunsil’s gas mask bong surfaced merely minutes before the 2016 NFL Draft, panic set in. Someone widely considered to be a top-6 pick fell to the Dolphins at No. 13 overall. Two offensive linemen (Ronnie Stanley and Jack Conklin) went before Tunsil. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens absolutely would’ve selected Tunsil at No. 6 overall had the gas mask video not surfaced. Instead, they took Stanley.

The Dolphins, however, had unanimous approval from their 4 top decision-makers to select the Ole Miss offensive tackle. To them, the “boom” factor outweighed whatever “bust” factor arose with the gas mask video.

In the end, we know how that played out. Even though Tunsil was traded by the Dolphins after 3 seasons, it actually came after they picked up his 5th-year option. Right before the start of the 2019 season, he was the focal point of a mega-deal with the Texans that eventually included 3 future first-round picks, an early second-round pick, a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick. Tunsil had fun with the notion that he helped Miami turn its franchise around with the haul it received in the trade:

All Tunsil did since being traded was:

  • A) Go to 3 Pro Bowls
  • B) Become PFF’s No. 1 pass-blocking OT
  • C) Allow 1 sack in 2022
  • D) Become the highest-paid OT in the NFL 2 different times
  • E) All the above

It’s “E.” It’s always “E.”

Tunsil is living proof that you can overcome an ugly pre-draft process. He didn’t let that incident, which was prompted by a disgruntled family member, define his career. It’s an afterthought that he lost out on an estimated $8 million by falling 7 spots that night. Tunsil, with his 2 record-setting deals, already made over $70 million in his career, and if he gets the full value of his new contract, he’ll have pulled in nearly $164 million by the time it runs out in 2026.

We shouldn’t rule out the possibility that Carter is capable of setting the market for his position in the back end of the 2020s.

Of course, the difference between Tunsil and Carter is that the former totally crushed the NFL Combine. Carter, on the other hand, didn’t participate in drills in Indianapolis and he only did position drills at Georgia’s Pro Day. The other difference is that Tunsil’s pre-Draft incident surfaced 10 minutes before the broadcast while Carter’s surfaced roughly 2 months ahead of the big night. Perhaps in a way, that can actually give teams more time to do their due diligence on Carter and we could see him picked earlier than the free-fall some have projected.

How high in the draft Carter is picked won’t determine if he becomes a franchise cornerstone like Tunsil. In Todd McShay’s latest mock draft, he actually had Carter ending up with Tunsil in Houston with the No. 12 overall pick. How fitting that would be. Carter could get some true first-hand advice from someone who lived that pre-draft roller-coaster.

No matter where he ends up, Carter created some doubt. That’s reality. It’s cliché to say that it’s now his job to “prove the doubters wrong” because if he steps out of line at any point when he’s in the NFL, those skeptics will resurface. That’s where Tunsil helped himself. Seemingly all of his headlines since that night have been related to his value.

What Carter can control is getting into the best shape of his life, much like how Tunsil transformed his body into the ideal mold for a blindside protector. Carter can continue to develop his craft and become a younger version of Quinnen Williams, much like Tunsil became a younger version of Trent Williams. Above all else, though, Carter still has all the ability to become a franchise building block, much like how Tunsil now is in Houston.

The path is there. Carter just has to exhale and take it.