Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Reasons Murray, Chaisson are better options at 21

1. Is Jefferson a part of the top tier of wide receivers or is he a second-tier guy?

Before we go any further let’s get two things straight. One, the buzz around bringing Jefferson to the “City of Brotherly Love” is completely understandable. Second, if every evaluation states that Philly’s biggest need is wide receiver and Jefferson is the best one available when the 21st-overall selection rolls around, that’s absolutely who the Eagles need to take when they’re on the clock.

There are just one or two issues here. The Eagles have more than one glaring need heading into this draft, and we aren’t completely sure that Jefferson is a perineal all-pro in the making.

Again, there’s no need to overthink things if Philly’s sure that this is the guy, but no one knows if he is. Maybe everyone is beginning to overanalyze these guys because there hasn’t been much else to discuss, but there’s a serious question that needs to be answered. Is Jefferson another Greg Jennings as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein states in his draft profile or should we pay more attention to the fact that, as Zierlein put it, he “needs more attention to detail with his routes” and he’s “unable to run away and separate from tight man coverage”?

We all know that he played in that powerhouse offensive juggernaut better known as the LSU Tigers. Yes, in the national spotlight, Jefferson shined with four touchdown receptions versus the Oklahoma Sooners in the College Football Playoff, but are we overvaluing that performance slightly? Is there any Big-12 team that plays any defense?

Yes, the only receivers in this draft class that can say that they’re better than Jefferson are Jeudy, Lamb, and Ruggs. No, if Philly passes on Jefferson in Round 1 (if he’s available), he won’t be on the board at 53, but the “Birds” need depth at safety and strength at the second level, and they could address other needs and still have a shot at adding solid receiving options for Carson Wentz in Round 2. Taking a wide receiver on the draft’s first day may not be a sure thing after all.