Eagles WR Jalen Reagor lands on a list Howie won’t enjoy seeing him on
It’s been quite the ride for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor, and we don’t mean that in a good way. It’s been two years since the Birds made him the 21st-overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, what they’ve gotten in return is a stat line over the course of a two-year stretch that most star NFL receivers produce in a single season.
As you might imagine, that hasn’t helped his jersey sales much. How did we get here?
We’ve told the story so much that we can recite it while sleeping or detail it’s every moment backward and forward. The Eagles, owning the 21st-overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, had their sights set on a wide receiver. With Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy off of the board, it appeared that the Birds would luck up and wind up CeeDee Lamb, but Dallas took care of that, leapfrogging their age-old rivals to nab Lamb at 17.
All hope wasn’t lost, or at least, that’s what we thought. Justin Jefferson was still on the board. Surely, Philly would take him, right? Nope!
The Birds made their choice. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement, and when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the Eagles brass had ignored Jefferson to take Jalen Reagor at 21. There isn’t an Eagles fan anywhere in the Delaware Valley or anywhere else on Planet Earth that doesn’t know how that worked out for Philly and the Minnesota Vikings.
Jalen Reagor lands on a list of 32 NFL players needing a change of scenery in 2022.
We mentioned Reagor’s stat line earlier. You’ve, no doubt, given it the once over 100 times. Here’s another look for effect. In 28 games with 24 starts, he’s hauled in 64 receptions for 695 yards and three touchdowns.
That would be phenomenal production if we were talking about a breakout year for John Hightower while playing in a reserve role. Unfortunately, that isn’t what you want to see from a first-round draft choice. Did we mention, in his lone playoff game, he caught one pass for a grand total of two yards and muffed a punt?
Eagles vice president/general manager Howie Roseman has taken a ton of heat for bad personnel decisions and draft choices… and rightfully so. Reagor is one of the poster children for the criticism, and it isn’t like Philadelphia hasn’t given him chances.
Week after week, Reagor is trotted out onto the field like he’s earned his playing time while more talented guys, Greg Ward for instance, spend the majority of their time trying to make the most of the minimal chances they’re given. It appears the Eagles’ brass would rather be right than be competitive.
Perhaps that’s the reason that ESPN’s NFL Nation placed his name on a list of 32 NFL stars that need a ‘change of scenery’ in 2022. Here’s what Tim McManus had to say.
"Expectations were high in Philly when Reagor was selected 21st overall in the 2020 draft, especially considering the Eagles passed on Justin Jefferson to take him. Jefferson’s career immediately took off, Reagor’s has yet to, and that has created an awkward strain between player (33 catches for 299 yards and two TDs last season) and city. A fresh start would alleviate some of the pressure and allow Reagor to play more freely."
It’s hard to disagree with any of that. It’s also easy to wonder what Howie must be thinking, isn’t it? Unfortunately, we know how this ends. At some point, probably after free agency or the NFL Draft, Roseman will speak to the media, and he’ll try to convince us that this will be Jalen Reagor’s breakout season.
As impressive as Joe Burrow’s first two seasons have been in the NFL, it’s important to realize that won’t be everyone’s story. That’s what makes it special. More often than not, young rookies will struggle to find their way, or the better rookies will hit the wall during their sophomore slump, but for a man that was taken 21st-overall, what we’ve seen has been inexcusable.
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We won’t rule out a trade, but we doubt it. You know how stubborn Howie Roseman can be. All we’re saying is this. If Philadelphia hopes to bring in a wideout to upgrade the position, we hope they do so by turning their attention to free agency. We can’t take another bad draft choice. We just can’t. We’re starting to develop a headache every time the end of April rolls around.