The 2019 Philadelphia Eagles offense is bad. Like, really bad. It almost seems like the receivers take turns to see who can disappoint the most each week. There’s no consistency, and it feels like there hasn’t been a big play since the week 1 bombs to Desean Jackson.
The Eagles need help at Wide receiver. Badly. Thankfully, the 2020 draft class is stacked with guys that can help fix the offense.
I ranked the preliminary top 5 WRs that fit what Eagles need the most. Hence, you will find these are not the top 5 in terms of pure talent, but rather what the Eagles need:
1. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Measuring at 6’1″, 192 lbs, Jeudy presents a lighter frame at WR, but that doesn’t hold him back from being a top-of-the-class talent.
With 66 catches for 933 yards and 9 TDs in a WR stacked offense at Alabama, his production is very good.
Jeudy separates from the rest of the group with insanely quick feet, finesse, explosiveness, and elite quickness, his route running is just stupid good. His hands are strong, he wins by outpositioning defenders, and once he gets separation, good luck catching up.
Negatives are all about nitpicking, but his lighter frame could make him easier to bring down in narrow spaces in the NFL, but does that really matter?
2. Henry Ruggs, Alabama
You want speed? You got speed. 6’0″, 190 lbs of pure quickness. He is unbelievable with the ball in his hands. He destroys tackle angles and has an ability to accelerate in-and-out of cuts that is just silly.
Best part? He isn’t just fast – he has the body control to match, excelling at contested-catch points, adjusting to the ball at top of routes, and extends his frame nicely. He plays tough and isn’t afraid to initiate contact with defenders. Hands are consistent.
Again, some nitpicking stuff here, but I’d like to see more consistent work against press coverage, where his ability to separate with quickness is challenged a bit.
3. Devonta Smith, Alabama
Smith is a light guy, coming in at 6’1″, 175 lbs, but that hasn’t stopped him from producing big time so far in 2019. With 60 catches, 1,120 yards, and 13 TDs, he is the most productive of the WR trio in Alabama.
The man just makes plays. He has cat-like turns in his routes, has no wasted motion, and transitions in routes with pace and leverage to get open. It displays beautifully in his double move routes. Smith possesses a ton of juice after the catch and is a threat to score all the time.
I question his actual straight-line speed, as he mostly wins in college with tremendous route running, perhaps fooling the eye. I need to see how good of an athlete he presents with his frame.
4. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
The TD machine from Oklahoma comes in at number 4 with a frame of 6’2″, 189 lbs, a silly yards/reception of 21.7 on 46 catches (999 yards) and 14 TDs, Lamb is a playmaker.
Lamb excels in tracking the ball and using his body to box out the opposition for the catch. He bends his body in unnatural ways, so the QB can pretty much throw it anywhere and there’s a pretty good chance Lamb gets it. The young wideout’s hands are exceptional and he eats press coverage consistently.
He’s to watch in open field, is slippery to tackle, and has good contact balance.
The reason Lamb drops to #4 is speed. Sure, his speed is decent, but not elite, and I question if his quickness in and out of cuts compensates enough at the next level.
5. Tee Higgins, Clemson
We have a big boy coming in at number 5. At 6’4″, 215 lbs, Higgins is among the tallest company of the class. With 40 catches, 799 yards, and 8 TDs in 2019 so far, his production is fine.
As a bigger receiver, he shows a nice explosion at the line of scrimmage, defeats press nicely with good footwork, and drops his big frame nicely to create separation at the top of the route. Tough, can work through contact, and can play anywhere on the field.
He has surprisingly good speed and tracking on deep balls. Has good ability after the catch. Uses his frame nicely to “moss” defenders:
Consistency is the key here as timing isn’t always on point. There have been a few too many drops (which Philly won’t love and he’ll need to showcase athletic ability at the combine.
If the NFL Draft were tomorrow, who would you want the Eagles to select?
Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
