2. Philadelphia Eagles draft Jalen Hurts 53rd-overall.
Before we say anything about this one, let’s get two things straight. First, everyone needs to spend more time congratulating Jalen Hurts on an amazing collegiate career and thinking about what he might have done had he played for Lincoln Riley for three seasons. Second, this move may work out pretty well for Philly, especially if anything happens to Carson Wentz.
By the way, before you guys explode, everyone knows Lincoln Riley had both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray for two of those three seasons. You get the point though.
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The anger about Hurts’ selection has nothing to do with him or what he’s capable of. The anger over Hurts’ selection exists because of when it happened. Had Philly waited until Round 3, Hurts may have still been available. Then, there’s this.
The Eagles have proven they’re dedicated to Carson Wentz. Taking a quarterback in the second round is a head-scratcher, especially when you factor in the knowledge that Philly had other needs and guys were available who could have met those needs.
By, again, getting a little too creative and launching the NFL’s first-ever “Quarterback Factory”, the “Birds” passed on the likes of defensive end A. J. Epenesa, running back J. K. Dobbins, wide receiver Denzel Mims, and cornerback Kristian Fulton.
All of those guys could have paid immediate dividends in Year 1. Instead, Philadelphia has a project at the position of signal-caller. Sure, we all may eat our words about this one, but right now, at best, it feels like Hurts might be a gadget guy for the next few seasons. We’ll have to wait and see.