After 106 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft many fans went to bed upset, confused and wishing they could redo the first 2 rounds. Now that I have gotten all my Jalen jokes out and done laughing at all the tweets about how people would react if they saw Roseman in person..
I'd like to really sit down and think about why we have another speedster but undersized WR, another QB and another LB who isn't quite a LB.
Pick #21 Jalen Reagor - WR - TCU
The reaction to this pick was not great. But Jalen Reagor is a speedster for sure regardless of what happened at the combine. He's 5' 11" and 195lbs, built very well and very similar to a DeSean Jackson type of receiver. He had a god awful Quarterback throwing to him most of his career at TCU but he was still able to get open and make some great plays.
The reaction to this pick wasn't about Reagor himself. The fans just saw Dallas grab a stud receiver to add to their already deep WR corps. The Eagles may have tried to move up and get CeeDee but from a fan's perspective it was very frustrating to see Lamb dropping only to pick Reagor at #21. Not to mention there were some great Linebackers still on the board and a couple safeties. From a fan's perspective talked about why a WR may not be the best option in round 1 and this pick kind of proved it. In Round 2 the Eagles could have still gotten Mims, who is going to be an easier replacement for a guy like Alshon Jeffrey, and in Round 1 they could have taken Murray or Queen at LB. In the end though we have a WR who is going to get open. Let's hope he can catch the ball from his quarterback, now about that quarterback....
Pick #53 Jalen Hurts - QB - Oklahoma
If you don't know, Howie Roseman broke every Eagles fans brains with the 53rd overall pick by selecting Jalen Hurts. QUARTERBACK, Oklahoma. If you don't know Jalen Hurts he was an Alabama stud quarterback who was leading the team to another national championship and then was injured. This is when Tua Tagovailoa came on the scene and never looked back. Jalen ended up transferring to Oklahoma and continuing his success but not quite getting over the edge to his own championship.
Jalen Hurts really is a great quarterback. He really is a great teammate. A great attitude. He is the full package. He just wasn't a great #53 pick for the Philadelphia Eagles. At least last night from a fan's perspective it didn't feel like a great pick. Carson Wentz is supposed to be the guy, he has a contract for 4 years $128 million. He was steps away from an MVP trophy 3 seasons ago. He is 27 years old. Teams don't draft a quarterback in the 2nd round when they have a franchise quarterback. But....
Now that I slept on it, I don't hate it. Philadelphia needs to admit they have an injury prone quarterback.. I admit it was difficult for me to just write that out. But we do. Carson is great when he's healthy and can move the pocket. But he isn't always healthy. I am convinced this isn't about replacing Wentz either especially since Carson did take it well and seems to be excited to have another study in the QB room with him. Jalen is a great fit because he does have a great attitude, and he's competitive in a healthy way. The biggest gripe I still have about this pick is it was an expensive insurance policy. There still were other WRs, LBs and O-Line that the Eagles could have drafted. And then the run on linebackers happened....
Pick #103 Davion Taylor - LB - Colorado
Davion Taylor plays more like a safety than a LB which fits the mold for the Eagles defensive scheme. So, I do think this was a good pick especially with Malcom Jenkins leaving, who often found himself playing a LB role while actually on the field as a safety. He's quick, but he's small for a linebacker. The size I'm not worried about he can pick that up in the off season quarantine workouts.
I don't have much to say about this pick other than it was about time they selected a LB and they could have had 2 at this point. Taylor as the hybrid and Murray or Queen as the anchor in the second level. But the Eagles didn't do that... so what's going on?
What Howie and Doug are Thinking?
This is a copy cat league. Last season Patrick Mahomes took the KC Chiefs to the Super Bowl with an explosive offense. The 49ers were their opponent with an equally explosive offense. Both these teams have speed.
The Chiefs and Niners both depend on smaller WRs that get open. The Quarterbacks are the anchors and the running game is the change of pace. This is why the Eagles went Reagor instead of Jefferson or Mims. They want fast explosive guys. The ability to comeback from 21 point deficits and still win by 20 like the Chiefs did in the divisional round.
Then you look at the rest of the teams in the playoffs. Seattle, New Orleans, Vikings, Titans, Ravens. While these teams all feature a tall receiver they have big playmakers that have speed too.
You look at New Orleans and Tennessee they have an offense that utilizes the pocket passer and then exploits the defense with a second arm who can double as a running back, receiver or passer..
While this strategy is unconventional some do believe the NFL is going to a realm where the offense is about 2 quarterbacks. And the defenses need to adjust to that.
The defense was focused on in the off-season. The Eagles have always neglected their Linebacker position so it was no surprise they skipped over classical stud linebackers in the first round. The guys they added in the offseason add a lot of speed and Davion Taylor fits the breed of the Schwartz defense where you really need any guy on the field to get sideline to sideline in the bend but don't break defense.
With a couple hours of sleep my mind is more settled on this draft. Reagor will be a great toy for Wentz, and who knows what will happen in Day 3, maybe Alshon gets traded and Wentz finds another toy. Jalen Hurts is also a weapon for Wentz, in multiple ways. On the field they can get creative. In the film room, Hurts saw NFL level competition at Alabama and Oklahoma, so he's got the IQ to take Wentz knowledge to the next level. Wentz also has compeition, he is clearly the starter but he definitely needs to show it now. I don't think this pick was about replacing him though in all honesty. For Wentz it means this is.. Eagles are all-in, they do want to win. The team wants to evolve like the KC, New Orleans and Titans of the league with creative plays and speed at every position. Wentz can focus on him now and play his game because there's an insurance policy.... But if you go down there's an insurance policy... and sometimes insurance companies choose to replace rather than fix.
There are still 5 picks for the Eagles to make today, follow on twitter @framafanpod to get my live reactions.
Time for one more Howie and Jalen joke:
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