Which Eagles Rookie Will Contribute Most In 2015?

There was plenty of chatter in the lead up to the 2015 NFL draft, among the media and fans, that the Philadelphia Eagles were looking to move up from the 20th overall pick with their eyes on a certain someone. However that proved to be just speculation and with the 20th overall pick the Eagles selected a player I expect to have a major impact year one and contribute right away, wide receiver Nelson Agholor.

Standing 6-0, 198 pounds, Agholor has good size so he’ll be able to play outside and in the slot and he also has experience playing in both spots in college as well. Agholor has excellent burst and YAC (yards after catch) ability. He also adds value as a punt returner and a gunner on special teams if need be. What impresses me the most about Agholor is his team first attitude. He’s willing to work hard and do whatever it takes to help the team win, similar to last year’s stand out rookie receiver on the Eagles, Jordan Matthews.

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So what can we expect for Agholor is midnight green? Of course his play on offense is partially dependent on the play at quarterback but expect Agholor to contribute from day one. He’ll be a third-down machine because he catches the ball in traffic and gets up field in a hurry. He’ll split time with Matthews in the slot while also taking reps from Riley Cooper and Josh Huff on the outside. With head coach Chip Kelly’s emphasis on special teams expect Agholor to see some time returning punts and as a gunner, at least until his snaps on offense increase.

ESPN’s draft expert Todd McShay actually picked Agholor to win the Offensive Rookie Of the Year award for the upcoming season. It’s certainly possible that Agholor could do so considering the loss of former Eagles starting wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in free agency. That spot that has been filled by 1,000+ receivers the past two seasons, in both Maclin and DeSean Jackson, is now up for grabs and Agholor certainly has the skill-set to fill that void.

But I believe Agholor will fall a little bit short of that 1,000 yard mark but still have a special rookie season, somewhat similair to the numbers that Matthews had last year during his rookie season as a member of the Eagles. Here’s my rookie season projection for Agholor:

65 rceptions, 850 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns and 1 punt return touchdown

Whether he puts up big numbers or not, Agholor should have an outstanding rookie season in such an uptempo scheme where he should see a ton of snaps in various spots on the field. If there was a “create-a-player” in real life, Kelly would likely build a player just like Agholor at wide receiver because of his versatility and character. It’s easy to see why Kelly selected Agholor to wear midnight green and he’s my pick out of the Eagles rookie class to contribute the most in 2015.

Next: 2015 Eagles Projected Defensive Depth Chart

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