Despite key picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles still have questions.
The NFL Draft has come and gone for the Philadelphia Eagles, as the defending NFC East champions entered the event looking to fill numerous areas in need of improvement.
While there are a few questions surrounding the Eagles offseason program at the moment, it still remains to be seen if all the pieces will fit together come September, or if the team will need to go back to the drawing board.
Eagles fans will tell you the wide receiver position was the main position on the team that gave them indigestion last season, and It looks like Howie Roseman went all-in on trying to fix the issue during the draft.
Roseman made sure that he did it his way and took an unorthodox approach to his draft board to help Philadelphia improve at the position in one of the best ways possible.
There was a tremendous amount of clamoring for the Eagles to take LSU receiver, Justin Jefferson with the No. 21 pick in the first round.
When that didn’t happen, it left many fans scrambling to figure out who Jalen Reagor was, and what the wideout could bring to the table.
So far, what we have learned about Reagor is that he is an explosive athlete that has the type of head-turning speed that Philadelphia sorely missed last season.
However, there are some that remain skeptical of Reagor’s route-running and consistency on offense, as he was often used as a gadget player at TCU.
Once Reagor was selected in the first round, the Eagles would end up adding two more receivers through the draft in John Hightower and Quez Watkins, both of which were selected on Day 3.
Luckily for Philadelphia, both rookies seem highly productive speedsters from small schools that should add sizzle to the offense if they happen to make the team.
Roseman clearly believed enough in the ability of both players to invest in them during the draft, but will it all be for nothing if neither of them have what it takes to make the roster?
So after taking all this into consideration, are the Eagles really getting explosive, field-stretching playmakers, or will the tradition of fielding underwhelming pass-catchers continue in 2020?
Did Philadelphia Eagles make mistake by not focusing on cornerback?
One of the other causes of frustration last season surrounding the Eagles was a struggling defensive backfield that often looked completely lost and overwhelmed.
Philadelphia’s cornerbacks were routinely being cooked on vertical routes up the field or getting their ankles snapped in half by double moves.
Roseman tried to address this spot through the free agency signing of Nickell Robey-Coleman and the splashy trade for Darius Slay, but the draft seemed like a missed opportunity to address the need.
The signing of Slay should result in taking away the opponent’s top receiving option each week, but it would be nice to have another capable defender on the opposite side that is ready to make a play when the ball is thrown in his direction.
With the struggles of the other current cornerbacks on the roster, some Eagles fans were hopeful they would try to find a skilled player at the position who could push for playing time.
The fact that Philadelphia opted to not go in that direction confirms its belief in the current players on the roster, although there is no guarantee that things will play out the way the Eagles believe.
The hope is that new defensive backs coach Marquand Manuel will be able to squeeze the most out of the current roster and take struggling players to the next level.
Still, it could not have hurt Philadelphia to take another swing on another young cornerback during the draft.
Is there a quarterback controversy brewing for Philadelphia Eagles?
We will end things with perhaps the most head-scratching move of the entire draft, which was Philadelphia’s decision to draft a quarterback early on.
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With the departure of Josh McCown, the Eagles were in need of another quarterback to be the backup to Carson Wentz, but no one expected them to select Jalen Hurts in the second round.
The plan is for the Eagles is to have Hurts run a version of the Taysom Hill package the New Orleans Saints utilize to give the other team an added dimension to account for.
Everyone in the locker room is saying all of the right things for now, and Wentz has been highly supportive of his new teammate. But also, could Wentz begin to feel more heat now that Hurts is in the building?
Philadelphia was aware of their needs prior to the draft, and the approach they took to address their concerns was unconventional to leave some fans with more questions than answers.
While the Eagles can be applauded for taking steps to upgrade a struggling receiving corps, there is still work to do in order to fully complete the roster.
With the new additions to the receiving corps, and with Hurts being added to the fold, things could get very interesting this season for the Eagles, as some questions will remain from now until the start of September.