Draft prospect John Ross was an Eagles fan because of DeSean Jackson

John Ross grew up rooting for the Eagles.

Washington wide receiver John Ross put on a show at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine. Not only did he record a 133-inch broad jump (tied for third-best among wideouts at the combine), but he also ran a 4.22 40-yard dash—the fastest in combine history.

Ross obviously caught the eye of a lot of teams at the combine, including the Philadelphia Eagles. Ross met with the Eagles for a pre-draft visit Monday prior to having surgery on his shoulder. Following his visit, he told NFL.com that he used to be an Eagles fan because of DeSean Jackson, who just signed a three-year, $33.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It’s not hard to see why Ross idolized Jackson. He and Jackson play a similar game. Both are smaller receivers who rely on their blazing speed to make plays.

More from Inside the Iggles

It will be interesting to see if Ross’ appreciation for the Eagles impacts where he stands in the team’s draft plans. Despite signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency, the Eagles could very much still be in the running to draft Ross, especially after his teammate Sidney Jones, one of the top cornerback prospects in this year’s draft, suffered a major leg injury at his pro day on Saturday.

As deep as this year’s draft is at cornerback, the Eagles may not feel pressured to go defense in the first round. If that is the case and Ross is still on the board, it’s certainly possible they could look to add his 4.22 speed to the roster.

Something tells me Eagles fans wouldn’t be too upset with that selection.

Shades of DeSean Jackson everywhere.

Home/Eagles News