Dear Philadelphia Eagles fans: Stop comparing Jalen Hurts to Taysom Hill

When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts, the popular comparison was to Taysom Hill’s role with the New Orleans Saints. This needs to stop.

The Philadelphia Eagles befuddled the NFL world (and possibly themselves) by drafting former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts with their second-round pick, the 53rd overall. Having just signed the 27-year-old Carson Wentz to a huge contract extension worth $128 million over four years, it’s easy to see why many were left flabbergasted.

With the media and fans alike scrambling to find any reasoning for the selection of Hurts, the justification that was primarily agreed upon was that Hurts would play a role similar to what Taysom Hill plays with the New Orleans Saints.

It’s a narrative that simply just isn’t true.

While it’s entirely possible, if not likely, that Doug Pederson will develop various packages and schemes to fully utilize Hurts’ athletic skillset similar in the same manner that Sean Payton has done with Hill, it doesn’t mean that they’ll be carbon copies of one another. Offensively, Hill can enter games and throw passes while also serving primarily as a receiver. He’s also gotten carries occasionally as a tailback.

What Pederson has said is he discussed the possibility of developing packages similar to what the Baltimore Ravens did with Lamar Jackson as a rookie with new Eagles’ senior offensive consultant Marty Mornhinweg. As many of you know, Mornhinweg was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2016-2018, his final season being Jackson’s first when Joe Flacco was still the starter.

That means that we can expect Philly to include a few run-pass options with Hurts lined up at quarterback, or you may even see him in the backfield lined up as a tailback.

Just imagine the possibility of a few lateral toss plays from Wentz that give Hurts the option of throwing or tucking the ball and running. While that possibility is, indeed, similar to what Hill does with New Orleans, don’t expect Hurts to line up as a receiver to catch passes. Don’t expect to see him covering on kickoffs. The Eagles aren’t planning to roll out a ton of “unorthodox” schemes. That’s where the similarities end between Hurts and Hill.

Sure, the initial reaction of drafting Jalen Hurts would lead to Taysom Hill comparisons, but upon further review, Lamar Jackson comparisons are more accurate. In all honesty, comparisons to Kordell Stewart apply, but Philly’s ultimate goal is to develop Hurts as a more polished passer.

The has worn off slightly. Eagles fans can be excited about the prospect of a new offensive weapon for Pederson and the Eagles, but that weapon isn’t the “new Taysom Hill”. It’s the first Jalen Hurts who’s, hopefully, the evolution of Lamar Jackson.