Philadelphia Eagles 2019 Draft Class had a rough outing against Lions
Week 3 was a big game for the Philadelphia Eagles 2019 NFL Draft Class. Unfortunately, they failed to impress.
Another year called for another surplus of injuries for the Philadelphia Eagles. As they missed multiple starters on both sides on the ball on Sunday against the Lions, the team expected their younger and more inexperienced players to step up — especially the 2019 draft class.
As we know, the Eagles didn’t come away with a ton of picks this year. Although they had more available, they eventually came out of the draft with only five rookies selected. A first-rounder, two second-rounders, a fourth-rounder, and a fifth.
Their fifth-round selection Clayton Thorson didn’t even make the team after a failed offseason. Therefore, he ended up on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Their fourth-rounder, Shareef Miller made the final roster, but he has yet to get activated on game day.
The Eagles first three picks didn’t start the season off with a significant role, but by week three they were asked to step up and try to help the starters out as best as they can.
After the unfortunate Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions, it became clear that the Eagles’ latest draft class is not capable of contributing when needed. Not now, at least.
A rough outing for the rookies
On Sunday, running back Miles Sanders got the start in the Eagles backfield. Wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside received tons of reps due to the absence of Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson. And left tackle Andre Dillard eventually stepped in for an ill Jason Peters early on in the game.
With three rookies out on the field, it was a good test to see if the Eagles’ youth could help the team out who is in desperate need early on in the year. But they came up extremely short. For starters, Dillard got injured almost immediately.
Granted, it’s not really his fault as injuries are tough to prevent, but he could be facing a potential move to the Injured Reserve this week.
As for Miles Sanders, he continues to be underwhelming. While he can’t block and create lanes for his own rushes, he isn’t doing himself any favors by fumbling the ball. Against the Lions, he put the ball on the ground twice in one drive while finishing the afternoon up with 53 yards on 13 carries.
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Then, there’s JJ Arcega-Whiteside. On Sunday, Whiteside was only targeted three times. He caught one ball for a whopping ten yards. The worst part about his ghostly performance? He stood out towards the end for all of the wrong reasons. On fourth and long, Carson Wentz fired one to Arcega-Whiteside deep near the goalline and he contributed to yet, another drop on the afternoon.
Is it time to call this draft class a bust? Absolutely not! However, what we’ve seen so far from the Eagles youth movement has been far from promising. The hope is that this game turns into a massive learning experience because the Eagles need help from their rookies.