Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Draft grades: Jalen Hurts coming aboard
The 2020 NFL Draft was a unique experience for all involved, but how did the Philadelphia Eagles do?
The Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East last season with a 9-7 record. So while they didn’t need a complete overhaul in the draft, they did enter the process with some key areas to target. General manager Howie Roseman is never afraid to take risks or make deals, so it was sure to be an interesting draft for the Eagles.
The Eagles wound up with 10 picks in the 2020 draft, which was ample volume to address their needs (wide receiver, linebacker, safety, offensive line) and add some depth. It was really only a matter of how their draft board fell, and where it made sense to take certain positions or players.
Here’s a look at the 2020 draft class for the Philadelphia Eagles, with evaluation and an overall grade at the end.
player. 54. Jalen Reagor. TCU. 21. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. WR
With Justin Jefferson notably still on the board, the Eagles instead took Reagor with the 21st pick. The TCU product was considered a possible first-round pick, but most mock drafts had him going a bit later.
Reagor suffered from incredibly poor quarterback play last year, which fueled a significant drop-off (43 receptions for 611 yards, five touchdowns) after a nice 2018 (73 catches for 1,061 yards, nine touchdowns, with two rushing scores). But he still topped 14 yards per catch again in 2019, with additional production as a return man.
Per @PFF, only 30.7% of Jalen Reagor's targets were charted as accurate in 2019.
— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) April 24, 2020
Only three other receivers in college football had it worse.pic.twitter.com/dPw56K2fhJ
GM Howie Roseman explained the decision to go with Reagor.
“Jalen fits something we were really looking for. An explosive guy, ability to contribute as a runner and as a returner, the ability to be explosive with the ball in his hands. These were all things we were looking for and things coach really wanted to stress.”
However, it appears Reagor was not the Eagles’ No. 1 choice at wide receiver as the first round took shape.
Jerry Jones said opinion around the NFL that WR was not a priority for the #Cowboys prevented other teams interested in Cee Dee Lamb from trading in front of Dallas. A division rival tried. Failing to trade with Falcons at 16 for Lamb, the #Eagles took WR Jalen Reagor at 21.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) April 24, 2020
Time will tell if the Eagles were right to have Reagor above Jefferson and some others on their draft board. But they needed to use a premium pick on the position, and did so.