What Position Do the Eagle Most Need To Address In the Draft? WR Edition
By Dylan MacKinnon
The Eagles season is over, and now, it is on to next year. Apart from the debate to keep or trade Wentz, the most important question on the minds of Eagles fans is what to do in the draft? Take one of the top WRS? Take a Cornerback? Offensive Lineman? Linebacker? Or even a QB? Before we decide what player we want, we need to figure out what positions they need help at. And that list is long enough that Jake Elliot would miss the FG from that distance. So let’s start taking a look at the positions where they most need help. We will start this week at WR.
Lack of Production
2019 Eagles fans wanted a WR, the Eagles took one in the 2nd Round. 2020 Eagles fans still wanted a WR because JJ Arcega Whiteside was already looking like a bust, and they got Jalen Reagor. And now once again in 2021, one of the Eagles biggest needs is WR. And the need for one is not over stated.
Travis Fulgham led the Eagles with 539 receiving yards. That ranks 82nd in the NFL. The most productive pass catcher on the team couldn’t even crack the top 80. No other team is in that position. Not even the Jets and the Jaguars. The Jets top WR was Jamison Crowder with 699 yards, he ranked 55th. The Jags top WR was DJ Chark with 706 yards, ranked 52nd. That means the worst team in the league, still had a WR with almost 200 more receiving yards than the Eagles best. In fact, they had 3 players with more receiving yards than anyone on the Eagles roster.
Bad Drafting
The Eagles haven’t had a 1000 yard WR since Jeremy Maclin in 2014. From 2014 until now, the Eagles have drafted 9 WRS. Two in the first, two in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, and on in the sixth. There are four still on the roster, and one of them is JJ Arcega-Whiteside.
They have been terrible at drafting WRs, but they have not been in a position to take one this high. They may have their pick of the WR class, but do you trust Howie to make the right choice when he picked Reagor over Justin Jefferson?
Justin Jefferson looks like a STEAL when it comes to 2020 WR Draft Class
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2021
Pick# Rec Yds
12 Henry Ruggs 452
15 Jerry Jeudy 856
17 CeeDee Lamb 935
21 Jalen Reagor 396
22 Justin Jefferson 1,400 pic.twitter.com/ejABopbAob
Conclusion
Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Heisman Winner Devonta Smith are the big names at the top of the WR board. At least one of them are going to be there at 6 when the Eagles pick. It’s a major position of need, and there is very good talent at the top of the draft to address it if that is the direction they choose to go.
Next Week, we look at Offensive Line.
