Nelson Agholor’s training camp hype translates to the field

The third season is a charm for Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor.

The Philadelphia Eagles kicked off the 2017 season with a solid division victory on the road. Although, at times, it was sloppy, it was clear that the Eagles had the upper hand the entire game. While the defense was the strong suit for the Eagles, one of the offensive weapons they hoped would be a huge contributor for this season had himself a breakout game.

Former first-round pick Nelson Agholor had himself a good day on Sunday. He finished with 86 yards off of six receptions, and he scored a touchdown. His touchdown catch and was one of the final pieces to a Carson Wentz’s masterpiece. After Wentz scrambled around in the pocket avoiding a sack, he eventually hit a wide open Agholor down the field. Agholor was able to shake off the one and only defender around him and head to paydirt.

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One of the biggest stories of the Eagles offseason has been the slot wide receiver battle between Agholor and former Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews. Agholor’s strong training camp campaign was enough for the Eagles to trade Matthews to the Buffalo Bills.

Obviously, Agholor’s strong training camp needed to make the transition to game days. He had shown slight flashes in the preseason but none of his production then was very convincing. Week one was his opportunity to step up and prove his worth, and he definitely did not disappoint.

Agholor was second in receiving. He was right behind Eagles tight end, Zach Ertz. Beleive it or not, Agholor’s 86-yard game on Sunday was his career high. It’s unfortunate that it took until year three of his career for him to outperform expectations, but better late than never right?

Obviously, his next step will have to be remaining consistent. Last season, he started out the year with a touchdown and then didn’t see the endzone again until the second-to-last game of the season against the New York Giants.

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After his breakout day, Agholor has likely locked up the slot receiver position for good. There is no telling on how much he will produce moving forward, but one thing is for sure, Wentz was heavily relying on Agholor at times throughout the game. So far, it looks like he’s going to do a good job of replacing Matthews.