For months we have wondered what the Eagles plan at wide receiver was.
On Thursday night we got a big piece of that answer.
The Eagles' decision to select Jalen Reagor with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is one of the biggest commitments Howie Roseman has ever made into a receiver in terms of draft capital. Roseman knew his team needed a wide receiver and he got one. He didn't get cute, he didn't over think it and he didn't draft a linebacker. He sat there at 21 and took the player he clearly wanted.
It is a pick you have to think he knew he was going to make since the start of free agency, as Reagor projected to definitely be there at No. 21, and the Eagles passed on adding a single receiver in free agency.
The question is was it the right pick, or will the Eagles first swing at addressing the wide receiver position end up being a miss?
We won't know the final answer to that for years, but for now, here are some thoughts on Reagor and how Day 1 of the NFL Draft went for the Eagles:
Jalen Reagor: When the season ended, everyone was in agreement — the Eagles needed a fast receiver that can be a home-run hitter and take the top off of defenses. Ideally that player would be young and could develop with Carson Wentz.
Reagor, on the surface, checks those boxes.
Outside of Henry Ruggs and perhaps KJ Hamler, Reagor was viewed as the most explosive receiver in this draft among the receivers projected to go in the first two rounds. His 40-time of 4.47 seconds is somewhat concerning, but Roseman said the Eagles had tracking data from his college games that show he has elite-level speed when the pads are on.
"You can see how they're running in games and their speed in games," Roseman said. "He's running at a really high level. He's been really fast in those games.
Although we don't get to see that data, and you have to take his word on it, Roseman wouldn't have selected Reagor at No. 21 if the data they had didn't actually say that.
Reagor's tape shows he is indeed elusive after the catch. TCU used him on screen plays quite a bit, and he often shedded blocks to turn a quick completion into a long gain. Reagor looks like the kind of player that will benefit from having Doug Pederson, who is a creative play caller, as his head coach.
Read this scouting report, via a collection of NFL Scouts as told to Bob McGinn of The Athletic:
The third-year junior posted the best broad jump (11-6) of the top 25 wideouts. "Holy shit, he's exciting," said one scout. "His speed and run after … we're looking for explosive playmakers. His punt returns were like holy hell. … His skill set is outstanding." Finished with 148 catches for 2,248 (15.2) and 22 TDs. "He's faster and quicker than CeeDee or (Justin) Jefferson," said a second scout. "He's tough, he'll catch in the middle and he takes the ball away from people. But, if the ball's not coming to him, he doesn't do much. He doesn't block. He hardly gets off the line of scrimmage sometimes. He is a talented, talented kid, but his body language and attitude, from film only, is bad. Kind of a reluctant football player. When the ball's coming to him he's full-speed." He posted 13 on the Wonderlic. "He may be the most explosive guy coming out of this draft," said a third scout. "Quick and aggressive, plays fast, quick hands. Can he be a slot receiver, too? I think he can." From Waxahachie, Texas. Added a fourth scout: "If I want a jet sweep guy I want Reagor. That (guy) is fast."
There are certainly negatives in there, and in his rankings based on votes from 17 scouts, Ginn had Reagor as the eighth-best receiver. But if you read that description of a player to fans as the one the Eagles drafted two months ago — from the "most explosive guy coming out of this draft" to "Holy shit, he's exciting" — most would have been thrilled.
One concern with Reagor is his hands. According to Sports Info Solutions, Reagor dropped 9.7% of the passes that came his way last season, which was the worst among all the top-level receivers in the draft. While drops are a subjective stat, and Reagor got bad quarterback play last season, that is still alarming when you consider the issues the Eagles had last season with drops. Obviously, Reagor will have to improve in that area.
Overall, my initial takeaway from the Reagor pick is this — the Eagles entered this offseason needing to get a young, fast playmaker at receiver. Whether Reagor will be that player remains to be seen, but the pick made sense and was good value at the spot they made it at.
Not Getting CeeDee Lamb: There is no doubt that the frustration with Reagor that some fans are feeling has to do with how far CeeDee Lamb fell, and the belief that could have traded up to get him. Lamb going to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 17 overall just makes the brief belief he could have been there even more painful for fans. There is no sugar coating it — Lamb looks like he is going to be a stud in the NFL and a player the Eagles will have to deal with for years to come.
Whether the Eagles actually had a chance to draft him isn't clear. The Cowboys almost certainly were not going to deal the pick to the Eagles. Perhaps a team a few picks ahead would have, but Roseman made it clear after the first round that the Eagles were not going to be dealing away other high-level picks to move up (i.e. No. 53).
Finding another team willing to move down might not have been as easy as everyone thinks, considering there weren't many trade in the first round.
Still, the Eagles not being able to pull off a trade for Lamb, and then having him go to the Cowboys, is no doubt going to be something the city will be focused on for years.
Passing on Justin Jefferson: Unlike Lamb, the Eagles had a chance to draft LSU's Justin Jefferson. He was sitting right there at No. 21, but they passes on him, instead taking Reagor. Jefferson and Reagor are two different players — Reagor is more of a home-run hitter while Jefferson is more of a complete, polished wideout. Jefferson was likely the safer pick, but you can see why the Eagles' specific needs — as listed above — lead them to take Reagor.
It is not a decision I would have made, but it isn't an especially egregious one. As with all of the draft picks, it will come down to evaluation.
More so than past years, however, the plethora of options the Eagles had will make Roseman's evaluation of this receiver class far more scrutinized than past years.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
