Here’s what 5 Eagles rookie head coaches did with their first NFL draft choice
Syracuse (1999). 5. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Quarterback. Donovan McNabb. 827
Andy Reid drafts the man who would become the best quarterback in the Eagles’ history… statistically.
The 1999 NFL Draft was a turning point in the City of Brotherly Love. Ray Rhodes was gone. Andy Reid was in, and despite the push to select Ricky Williams in the coming NFL Draft, Andy Reid, instead, looked to land the franchise quarterback he’d hitch his wagon to… or in this case, the Model A Ford he rode into town on.
Donovan McNabb, not Ricky Williams, was the second-overall choice during the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Eagles fans who were in attendance weren’t happy as a cascade of boos rained down in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden.
Reid began the following regular season with Doug Pederson as his starting quarterback. McNabb appeared in 12 games as a rook. He took over as the full-time starter in Week 10. He threw for 948 passing yards and eight touchdowns versus seven interceptions in year one.
Ahead of the 2000 season, Donovan was given the keys to the franchise. Haters became fans. He threw for 3,365 passing yards and 21 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions. He also added 629 rushing yards and six more touchdowns as a scrambler.
Those numbers helped the Eagles to a mark of 11-5. They reached the Divisional Round during the playoffs where they fell to the Giants, but McNabb continued to improve. He earned five straight Pro Bowl nods from 2000 to 2004. He earned a sixth in 2009.
He led the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games. The first four were consecutive. He’d once led Philly to the Super Bowl. In total, he played 11 seasons in the midnight green, and though some fans are split on how he should be viewed, he’s without question one of the best players in franchise history.