Here’s what 5 Eagles rookie head coaches did with their first NFL draft choice
player. 812. Ohio Stata (1986). Keith Byars. 42. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Running back
Buddy Ryan’s era begins, believe it or not, with the selection of an OFFENSIVE star.
Buddy Ryan came to Philly with some fanfare. After helping the 1985 Chicago Bears win their one and only Super Bowl and professing he would come to the City of Brotherly Love, build the nastiest defense the world had ever seen, and ride that to a title in Philly, he went with an offensive star with the tenth-overall selection of the 1968 NFL Draft.
Shortly after the release of running back Earnest Jackson, who had just notched back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, he went with someone who better represented the style of football he wanted to play. His vision began taking shape during the 1986 NFL Draft with Jackson’s replacement, running back Keith Byars out of Ohio State.
In his first season with the Eagles, Byars led the team in rushing with 577 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown. Quarterback Randall Cunningham was right behind him and finished second. He notched 540 yards on the ground in 1986. Keith continued to be a steady player going forward.
His best season in an Eagles uniform came in 1988. 517 yards rushing, 705 yards receiving, and ten total TDs were the result of 16 in-game appearances. Those stats helped the Birds to a 10-6 record and an NFC East division title. Philly lost to Buddy’s former team, the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round.
Byars would play four more seasons with the Eagles and collect 976 rushing yards, six rushing TDs, 2,104 receiving yards, and six receiving TDs in 48 games. He finished his career with a tour of the AFC East, playing for the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and the New York Jets, but make no mistake about it. He’s an Eagle, and years after his final game with this great franchise, the mention of his name still makes people smile.