Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Breakout player candidates not named Jalen Hurts

The Philadelphia Eagles could use a breakout year from Jalen Reagor.

You had to know he would be on this list. It’s tough to find an Eagle who needs a breakout season as desperately as Jalen Reagor does.

With DeVonta Smith’s arrival in Philadelphia, Reagor has stated that he is being used primarily in the slot as opposed to the outside. This, more than any other reason, is why Reagor has the potential to skyrocket next season.

From very early on last season, it became apparent that Reagor’s route tree was very limited. Playing against press coverage on the outside, Reagor needed to improve the sharpness and timing of his routes. His timing was oftentimes thrown off because of his struggles in press coverage.

While these traits are still massively important in the slot, it’s much easier to run routes on the inside. For one, defenders rarely press cover slot receivers which gives Reagor a much smoother release. Secondly, the TCU product can use his best trait to his advantage: his speed.

Slot receivers do a lot of damage once the ball is already in their hands and as a quarterback, it’s much easier to throw to them. Reagor’s deep ball experience also gives the Eagles an intriguing vertical slot receiver option.

We’re all aware of his struggles as a rookie, but Jalen Reagor has the environment around him to take a big leap forward in Year 2. By then, hopefully, we can stop comparing him to Justin Jefferson.