Eagles history: The 5 greatest NFL Draft steals since 1970
54. . . . Harold Carmichael. 17. player
Perhaps the greatest wideout the Eagles have ever drafted, Harold Carmichael, believe it or not, was a seventh-round draft choice in 1971.
Drafts in the seventies were a lot longer than they are now during the modern versions. Try 17 rounds on for size. In 1971, after choosing defensive back Wyck Neely in the sixth round, the Birds were looking to use their seventh-round pick to upgrade their offense. They did just that by selecting wide receiver Harold Carmichael out of Southern University.
During his rookie season, Philly moved him to the tight end position. He caught 20 receptions for 288 yards in year one. After that, he moved back to his natural position, wide receiver. That decision turned out to be wise as he racked up 8,978 receiving yards with 79 touchdowns in his 13-year 180-game regular-season career.
He added another 465 yards and six TDs during seven postseason games. He would tally three 1,000-yard receiving seasons during that span. Carmichael may have closed out his career with the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s an Eagle through and through. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions (589), receiving yards (8,978), and receiving touchdowns (79). He was elected to the Pro Football Hame in 2020.