Drafting is hard.
That is especially true when it comes to the Eagles trying to draft wide receivers.
While it is always easy to say who a team should have drafted in hindsight, it is becoming increasingly hard to ignore how many talented, young receivers the Eagles have missed out on.
Justin Jefferson has 348 yards receiving in four games. DK Metcalf is averaging 25.2 yards-per-catch this season. Tee Higgins scored two touchdowns against the Eagles.
And that is just the last two drafts.
Over the last four drafts, the Eagles have had multiple chances to draft the kind of difference-making receivers they have been looking for. It isn't for a lack of effort — the team has used six draft picks on receiver in the last five drafts. They have used a first-round pick and a second-round pick. They have scouted the position heavily.
The result has been one of the worst receiving cores in the NFL.
In fact, of the six receivers the Eagles have drafted since 2016, only one (John Hightower) is expected to be a contributing player this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Meanwhile, all around the league, receivers the Eagles have had a chance to draft are making big impacts for their team.
Here is a look at the 18 receivers the Eagles had a chance to draft and who they selected instead. You can make the argument some picks were betters than other. Dallas Goedert is a good player. Some of the receivers they have missed out came out of nowhere to succeed, or came with red flags in the draft.
Overall, however, the track record is clear -- the Eagles have missed out on some big-time talent at receiver despite an effort to rebuild the position through the draft:
2020:
Round 1, Pick 21: Jalen Reagor…Justin Jefferson (1st round, pick 22)
Round 1, Pick 21: Jalen Reagor…Brandon Aiyuk (1st round, pick 25)
Round 1, Pick 21: Jalen Reagor…Tee Higgins (2nd round, pick 33)
2019:
Round 1, Pick 25: Picked Andre Dillard…Marquise "Hollywood" Brown (1st round, pick 25)
Round 1, Pick 25: Picked Andre Dillard…Deebo Samuel (2nd Round, pick 36)
Round 2, Pick 57: Picked JJ Arcega-Whiteside…DK Metcalf (2nd round, pick 64)
Round 2, Pick 57: Picked JJ Arcega-Whiteside…Terry McLaurin (3rd round, pick 76)
Round 2, Pick 57: Picked JJ Arcega-Whiteside….Parris Campbell (2nd round, pick 59)
Round 2, Pick 57: Picked JJ Arcega-Whiteside…Diontae Johnson (2nd round, pick 66)
Round 4, Pick 138: Picked Shareef Miller…Hunter Renfrow (4th round, pick 149)
Round 5, Pick 167: Picked Clayton Thorson….Darius Slayton (5th round, pick 171)
2018:
Round 1, Pick 32: Traded down to take Dallas Goedert….Courtland Sutton (2nd round, pick 40)
Round 2, Pick 49: Picked Dallas Goedert…James Washington (2nd round, pick 60)
Round 2, Pick 49: Picked Dallas Goedert…Michael Gallup (3rd round, pick 81)
2017:
Round 2, Pick 43: Picked Sidney Jones…JuJu Smith-Schuster (2nd round, pick 62)
Round 2, Pick 43: Picked Sidney Jones…Cooper Kupp (3rd round, pick 69)
Round 6, Pick 214: Picked Elijah Qualls…David Moore (7th round, pick 226)
2016:
Round 5, Pick 164: Halapoulivaati Vaitai….Tyreek Hill (Round 5, Pick 165)
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
