One of the newest inductees into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame has some pretty high praise for Eagles rookie running back Miles Sanders.
Most people would probably agree with you if you told them that being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame means you were a great student of the NFL game. They’d probably also tell you that each of its’ inductees are pretty familiar with what it takes to be great in this business. Gil Brandt is a member of its’ 2019 class, and he has some pretty high praise for Philadelphia Eagles rookie running back Miles Sanders.
Brandt is also an NFL.com analyst and a SiriusXM NFL Radio host. Recently, he named his top-ten rookie risers, and he thought enough about Sanders to include him on the list.
That’s pretty high praise. The discussion, especially among Eagles fans and the media, about what Sanders’ expectations are in 2019 creates all kinds of conversations. Here’s some of Mr. Brandt’s theory.
"Sanders had a disappointing offseason after being sidelined by a hamstring injury. Now healthy, Sanders is poised to push Jordan Howard for the starting running back gig… The thing that I like so much about Sanders is that he’s fresh, having played behind Saquon Barkley for most of his time at Penn State, and he can catch the ball, which means he doesn’t have to come out in obvious passing situations. I think he’s going to impress this season."
135 players decided to forego whatever time they had left in their eligibility to enter the 2019 NFL Draft as early entrants. That’s a record by the way. 254 names were called. Then, each team signed undrafted free agents. For Sanders to be mentioned on a list with only ten rookie names, or any list of only ten names, is quite the accomplishment.
Four spots after him, the Eagles took a big-bodied wide receiver, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who’s been compared to, of all people, Alshon Jeffery. He’s not even on the list. Neither is the Eagles’ first-round selection, offensive tackle Andre Dillard.
Both of those decisions could spark debate, but rather than do that, why don’t we do this? Let’s pat the Eagles’ brass on the back for adding another piece that may, one day, help them hoist another Lombardi trophy. The hamstring appears to be okay ladies and gentlemen. We’ll see a little more of Sanders in the Eagles’ second preseason game.