5 Worst Philadelphia Eagles rookie seasons from 2010-2019
54. . . . J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. 19. player
The Eagles missed badly in 2019 as the ignored D.K. Metcalf to select J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.
The 2019 NFL Draft was the year to pick a wide receiver if your team needed one. There were a lot of good ones to choose from, yet somehow, with it being almost impossible to miss, Philadelphia managed to strike out anyway.
Long after his playing days are done, no one will ever forget the career of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (Stanford University) but that’s true for all of the wrong reasons. Philly ignored D.K. Metcalf with the 57th selection of the draft that year to take him. The Seattle Seahawks drafted D.K seven picks later at 64. There isn’t anyone that doesn’t know how that worked out for both teams.
Here are a few other things worth mentioning. Get this. Other notable wide receivers taken in the second round that season were Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, and Mecole Hardman. Future Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin was also on the board when Philly took J.J.
Philly could have blindfolded themselves before throwing a dart at a dartboard full of names and come up with a better choice. Instead, they went with JJAW because Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie thought the former Stanford standout reminded him of Alshon Jeffery.
Go figure, huh?
Acega-Whiteside didn’t produce an awe-inspiring showing. He caught ten passes on 22 targets (yes.. ten). That resulted in 169 yards receiving with one touchdown.
In total, his time ended in Philly with 16 career receptions 290 yards receiving, and that one trip t the end zone in 40 career games. He also pounced on a Miles Sanders fumble in the end zone for another score.
Philadelphia would trade the former second-round pick to the Seahawks in August of 2019. Maybe we shouldn’t beat him up too much. Had he and Jalen Reagor not been so bad, Philly would have never wound up with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. So, maybe things worked out as they should have.
