Throwback Thursday: Philadelphia Eagles draft WR Nelson Agholor
Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Eagles took a first-round chance on a wide receiver by the name of Nelson Agholor.
Maybe it’s anger that does it, but we, at ITI, sometimes refer to former Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly as ‘that coach that shall remain nameless. No Eagles fan really needs an explanation as to why. Still, in spite of many moments that didn’t seem to be well-thought out (trading Nick Foles for Sam Bradford being one of them), Kelly did draft right tackle Lane Johnson, tight end Zach Ertz and wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
All three are a part of the Eagles’ offensive nucleus. All three figure to be a part of the team’s long-term plans. We knew that about Ertz and Johnson. Learning that about Agholor took a while longer.
No one will forget the rocky start.
Agholor was the 20th-overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. His first two seasons didn’t produce much, 75 catches and eight touchdowns to be exact. Perhaps his lowest moment came in a game played in his second season, a game in which the Eagles traveled to the Pacific Northwest to witness a game between ‘The Birds’ and the Seattle Seahawks.
After the jubilation Eagles fans saw when they watched Zach Ertz streak down the sideline for a long touchdown on a nice catch and run was, immediately, replaced by the empty feeling of seeing a penalty flag, emotions then turned to all-out rage as they found out the reason.
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Nelson Agholor had lined up incorrectly, erasing the touchdown and killing what momentum the Eagles had created. Philly never recovered from that one.
Sometimes, it’s good to be wrong.
We, at ITI, were probably the most critical of Agholor over his first two seasons. We were the first to ask for his dismissal after his rookie campaign. There was also the time that we issued an imaginary divorce decree. It’s kind of hard to retraction (we were proven right by his second season). Still, in the long run, we’re happy to be wrong.
Who would have thought a number change and moving him from the outside to the slot would have produced such phenomenal results?
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May 24th has come, and now ‘number 13’ celebrates another birthday. All is forgiven from that sad day in Seattle. Memories of dropped passes have been replaced by memories of long touchdown receptions and clutch moments. Sure, we were right (for a while), but in the end, we were proven wrong. Agholor got the last laugh.
As lifelong Eagles fans, we’re glad that he did.