Trusted NFL voice says Eagles could ‘absolutely’ add a 1st-round WR again

It won’t be long now. The next NFL Draft approaches, and though we’ve discussed every conceivable Philadelphia Eagles scenario ad nauseam (or at least the ones that we could think to come up with), it doesn’t feel like we’re any closer to the answers than we were when this became the prevailing topic.

We’ve seen another Senior Bowl, the most recent NFL Scouting Combine, and all of those Pro Days, and the narratives sound identical to the back-and-forth we had last year and the year before that.

So, are the Philadelphia Eagles going to draft a wide receiver in Round 1 or not?

At this point, we’d rather just hit the fast forward button and get on with it already. There are too many questions that we’re tired of asking (and answering) knowing full well that none of us really know what the answers to those questions are.

Do the Eagles really want to invest draft capital in another Pac-12 wide receiver (Drake London) or a cornerback from the Washington Huskies program (Trent McDuffie or Kyler Gordon)? Is this the year? Will the Eagles finally end the drought and take a linebacker in Round 1?

How about this one? It’s another of those familiar questions. Will Philadelphia draft a wide receiver in Round 1 for the third year in a row? One of pro football’s most trusted voices, Peter Schrager, says the “absolutely” could.

Here are three reasons why he might be right.

1. There’s clearly an obvious need at the position.

If nothing changed between now and training camp, here’s who the Eagles would have at the wide receiver position once things got underway: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Quez Watkins, Greg Ward, Deon Cain, John Hightower, Jalen Reagor, Zach Pascal, Devon Allen, and DeVonta Smith.

Yeah… That isn’t ideal.

2. This team can’t walk into the regular season with their wide receiver room as is.

As stubborn as the Eagles’ leadership structure can be at times, they have to understand that it isn’t going to work with Jalen Reagor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. They just don’t have what it takes to play in a city that’s as demanding as Philadelphia is.

It’s obvious. Everyone knows it.

The Eagles can’t bash the guys publicly. Doing so would put the final nail in the coffin of not being able to trade them, but Philly has to do all that they can to allow these guys to seek a second chance elsewhere. Heck, Reagor is a former first-rounder. There has to be a market for him even if it is minimal.

This offseason, Philly went the route of re-signing Greg Ward who’s a marginal talent at best. They also added Zach Pascal, who earned lower grades from Pro Football Focus than Reagor, and Devon Allen, a track star that hasn’t played football since 2016.

That would mean they have to look for a wideout in the draft, right?

3. If taking the best player available is the draft strategy, how can they rule a wide receiver out?

This one’s obvious. We’ve often discussed the dynamic of drafting based on need versus taking the best player that’s available when your team and organization are on the clock. As it always is, the wide receiver position is one of the Eagles’ largest areas of concern as we enter another draft.

The expectation is there’s a possibility that prospects like Drake London, Jameson Williams, Chris Olave, and Treylon Burks could be available when the Eagles are on the clock at 15 or 18. If we’re talking about ‘needs’ and the ‘best players’, how can Philly not give these guys some serious thought in Round 1 on the first night of the selection meeting?

Buckle up. Grab some popcorn. Things could get very interesting on April 28th.