The Dallas Cowboys dealt a blow to the Eagles by taking CeeDee Lamb with their first-round pick, raising a lot of hesitation surrounding what Philadelphia would do at pick 21. Howie Roseman would respond by drafting a wide receiver of his own – Jalen Reagor.
The former TCU Hornfrog is a perplexing receiver. There are concerns about drops and a dip in production (despite only 30% of his targets being accurate in 2019), but the 5’11, 206 lbs, wideout ticks every box the Eagles need.
A 42-inch vertical and a terrifying release add some real explosiveness to Reagor’s game and while it may not be the wideout that many wanted, it could be the one they needed.
He ended his TCU career with 2,248 yards across three years with 22 touchdowns to his name, averaging 14+ yards per catch in each season.
Many viewed Reagor as a late-first round pick and this may be deemed a reach at 21. But the Eagles needed speed and Reagor provides that in buckets, despite what a poor combine performance would hint at.
TCU used Reagor on punt returns and even on sweeps and swings. He had 35 carries for 324 yards and two touchdowns during his time with TCU, along with 23 punt returns and 13 kick returns.
Reagor is the burner that Philadelphia fans have been crying out for, but it came moments after CeeDee Lamb was snatched from their clutches, getting a taste of their own medicine after snatching Dallas Goedert away from the Cowboys in 2017.
With Aaron Moorhead leading the Eagles wideouts, getting a versatile weapon with a quick release is absolutely huge for this team.
Four of Reagor’s five touchdowns came on 20 plus yards receptions. The receiver caught eight of those targets for 294 yards as well. Pair that with Carson Wentz, who finished ninth in the NFL in deep passing accuracy (51.92 completion percentage), despite not having a legitimate vertical threat majority of the 2019 season. Reagor and Wentz’s pairing bodes well for the Eagles downfield passing success.
It wasn’t the pick many wanted, but it was the one they needed.
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
