Philadelphia Eagles: Grading the 2017 rookie draft class
RB Donnel Pumphrey, 4th Rd
The Eagles confused a lot of fans when they decided to trade up to take Donnel Pumphrey. But as soon as they made the selection, everyone had one player comparison in mind, Darren Sproles. It was no secret that the Eagles were looking to replace the guy who was such a triple threat due to his skills in the return game, passing game, and rushing game.
The Eagles gave Pumphrey every opportunity possible to show some promise as Sproles’ potential protege. He even made it clear that he was thrilled to be mentored by the guy who undersized running backs practically look up to. But the 2017 preseason did not convince anyone that the next Sproles was Pumphrey.
When it was time to cut rosters down to 53 guys, Pumphrey’s potential was questioned by many. Clement ended up having a much better preseason on a lighter workload so it was surprising to see that both rookies would make the final roster. Although Pumphrey made the team, he would never actually play. He was sent to the injured reserve after week one with a torn hamstring.