3 Quarterbacks Philadelphia Eagles could have taken instead of Hurts
By Hunter Doyle
Let’s take a closer look and do so from a Philadelphia Eagles scout’s perspective.
After 2016, Luton decided to transfer to Oregon State for his final three years of eligibility. He saw little playing time in 2017 but started to see the field more in 2018. In eight games, he put up a 62.5 completion percentage, 1660 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and four interceptions. His best performance came in a late-October slate against Colorado.
After facing a 31-3 deficit, the Beavers put Luton in and their offense exploded. They went on a 38-3 run in the second half which helped them defeat the Buffaloes in overtime. Luton completed 28 passes on 39 attempts for 310 yards and three touchdowns without any interceptions.
In 2019, he took a big step. In 11 games, he completed 62 percent of his passes and threw for 2,714 yards and 28 touchdowns versus just three interceptions. It’s also important to consider that Luton did this without the top-tier talent around him that other quarterbacks in this draft class had.
Tua Tagavailoa had first-round receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, along with future star receivers Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith to go along with star running back Najee Harris. Joe Burrow had first-round picks, Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to go along with other young weapons such as Terrace Marshall, Ja’Marr Chase, and Thaddeus Moss.
Jalen Hurts had a first-round receiver in Cee Dee Lamb, a solid number two option in Charleston Rambo, and a talented running back in Kennedy Brooks.
Luton has improved in every year since his time at Idaho and the Eagles could have continued that development. At six-foot-six and 224 pounds, Luton has great size for the position and is a solid pocket passer who will just need to improve his vision when scanning the field.
He relied on 1,000-yard receiver Isaiah Hodgins most of the time at Oregon State, but he can learn and improve at reading defenses under the right coaching staff. Picking him on day three would’ve been a low-risk, high-reward situation for Philly that could’ve panned out better than expected.