3 best moves the Eagles made in the NFL Draft

1. Kenneth Gainwell

Modern NFL offenses operate at their best when they are able to create mismatches in space. That’s why the Eagles taking Gainwell during Round 5 should pay major dividends for their offense.

The talented running back somehow managed to fly under the radar despite being uber-productive during his collegiate career for Memphis. After all, he ran for 1,459 yards last season while adding 610 receiving yards last year. It’s his pass-catching ability that should distinguish him from his peers in the NFL.

Look for Gainwell to get a lot of chances to help the Eagles offense on obvious passing downs as a rookie. He’ll need to prove he can hold up in pass protection to earn the coaching staff’s trust, but he already has the route-running ability to become a nightmare matchup for opponents. He’s a running back that can hurt opponents via screens and conventional pass patterns down the field.

Those qualities make Gainwell a prime candidate to become a favorite target for Hurts during the 2021 season. He’s not going to get a ton of carries, but he will catch plenty of balls out of the backfield. That’s excellent value for a fifth round pick.