Jalen Reagor's NFL career pauses as the former Eagles 1st-round draft pick is waived by the Vikings

Most remember it like it was yesterday. The Philadelphia Eagles were on the clock during the 2020 NFL Draft. Most were under the impression that selecting a wide receiver in the first round was a necessity. The corps , as it was currently constructed, left much to be desired.

Alshon Jeffrey was 30 years old and coming off of an injury-riddled season, Nelson Agholor had signed a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was entering year two following a disappointing rookie campaign. That was all that any interested party needed to see. The Eagles, without question, were in the market for a playmaker at wide receiver.

The Philadelphia Eagles select Jalen Reagor 21st overall during Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

If you were watching, you may never forget where you were during the announcement. Rodger Goodell was on our televisions. The Birds were on the clock, and Eagles fans were certain that former LSU Tigers standout Justin Jefferson would be the selection... He wasn't.

Jefferson was a College Football Playoff National Champion and a Second-Team All-SEC nod in 2019. He had just snagged 111 catches for 1540 yards and had reached the end zone 18 times during his senior season. Surely, Philly would select him... Nope... Instead, they went with former TCU Horned Frog Jalen Reagor.

Just like that, the wind was taken from the sails of Eagles fans watching everywhere. Unlike J.J., Reagor was coming off of an underwhelming junior season prior to entering the selection meeting. To make matters worse, the Minnesota Vikings selected Jefferson with the following selection.

Jalen Reagor descends into anonymity and eventually teams with Jefferson, but has now see his release.

Reagor would go on to disappoint in two seasons with Philadelphia. He totaled 64 catches, 695 yards receiving, and only three touchdown receptions. Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson solidified himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and rose to superstar status.

Roseman soon realized that Reagor was underwhelming, and he traded him for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round pick to the Vikings on August 31st of 2022, coincidentally making Reagor and Jefferson teammates. It appears, however, that Minnesota has decided to cut those ties.

The 2020 and 2021 campaigns weren't the best of times for Howie Roseman. He was criticized harshly and bashed in the court of public opinion. He has since righted the ship, but selecting Reagor remains as one of the scarlet letters on what has otherwise been a spotless recent resume.

As we now know, in just two short years, he completely rebounded from one of the biggest draft misses in his career as Philly's vice president and general manager. He revamped the Eagles' wide receiver core by drafting Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith with the 10th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft and by trading for A.J. Brown during the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft. Just like that, Howie had given the Eagles one of the best wide receiver duos in recent memory, and as A.J. so eloquently put things recently, DeVonta gives him "another wide receiver one on the other side of me."

Reagor joins the many Eagles first-rounders from 2014-2020 that did not pan out. Names like Marcus Smith, Nelson Agholor, Andre Dillard, and Carson Wentz come to mind, but Roseman has rebounded nicely, learned from his mistakes, and has re-established himself as one of the best G.M.s in all of pro football.

Check out several of our other Eagles stories as well.