Eagles Rookie Preview: Who is Nelson Agholor?

Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Nelson Agholor (15) is defended by Nebraska Cornhuskers linebacker Ameer Abdullah (8) on a 17-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter in the 2014 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In the 2015 NFL Draft the Philadelphia Eagles addressed many of their needs. The first need that the Eagles addressed was wide receiver. They did this by drafting former USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the first round. Many have compared the new Eagle to former Eagle and current Kansas City Chief wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, but before the expectations get too high (or too low) let’s see what kind of receiver Agholor truly has the chance to be.

Strengths:

Nelson Agholor plays fast. He gets good separation from the defender he is matched up against. While he does show speed, his separating ability can largely be attributed to his stellar route running. He also has great hands. He is an extremely intelligent player, he has great vision down the field which allows him to make in impact in the return game. Also as an added bonus he has great character off of the field.

Nov 1, 2014; Pullman, WA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Nelson Agholor (15) is defended by Washington State Cougars cornerback Kevin Griffin (38) at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Weaknesses:

My problem with Agholor as a future NFL wide receiver is that while his skill set gave him a great deal of success on the collegiate level, I’m not sure how well it translates to the NFL. There were a few times in college this year where Agholor showed the inability to shake certain cornerbacks and he also had trouble taking the top off of the defense once in a while. He wasn’t a pure burner in college and this could prove to make him struggle against some of the better cornerbacks in the NFL.

Who is Nelson Agholor?

Aug 21, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver

Darrius Heyward-Bey

(85) makes a touchdown catch in front of Philadelphia Eagles defensive back

Keelan Johnson

(38) during the second half of a game at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Worst Case Scenario: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR Pittsburgh Steelers

Heyward-Bey was a first round wide receiver who never truly panned out. He has always survived throughout the league because of his potential, his solid speed and his ability to play inside and out. Agholor has been described in a similar way to how Heyward-Bey was described and risks the same pitfalls.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver

Antonio Brown

(84) carries the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback

Lardarius Webb

(21) defends in the first quarter during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Best Case Scenario: Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh Steelers

While his measureables and skills might match up to Jeremy Maclin a little bit better, Brown has a very similar skill set to Agholor. What makes Brown such an elite talent is his ability to separate from the defender with his route running ability and his quickness and elusiveness. This is exactly what I saw from Agholor last year in college. They even have similar 40 yard dash times, with Agholor being a step faster. If Agholor can translate his skills from college to the NFL he has the potential to be the next Antonio Brown.

Sep 21, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver

Victor Cruz

(80) scores a touchdown past Houston Texans cornerback

Kareem Jackson

(25) at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

My Predicted Scenario: Victor Cruz, WR New York Giants

Again, while Maclin seems to be the consensus from experts, I see Agholor as a Cruz type receiver. Both are explosive with similar speed and identical height. They both also make there money with their route running and their ability to play inside or outside. Cruz was shut down on a few occasions throughout his career, but at the end of the day he has the potential to be a game changer. Agholor has a chance to be a huge contributor for the Eagles.

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