The Eagles drafted TCU’s Jalen Reagor with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. A wide receiver, who stands at 5’11” but might as well be measured at 6’3”.
Jalen Reagor isn’t a big mouth diva that wants the spotlight. He isn’t the low confident receiver that may let a team down from time to time. He’s quiet but observant. Reagor hears everything that’s being said about the big four receivers in the draft, but he’s just not the sort of player to kick up a fuss.
In 2018, the TCU product put the world on notice. The electrifying receiver caught 72 receptions on 131 targets for 1,061 yards—14.7 yards per reception, and nine touchdowns. Reagor finished his sophomore season as a second-team All-Big 12 selection.
One year later, Michael Collins wasn’t around and Shawn Robinson transferred. Max Duggan was the replacement, a QB who threw 15 TD’s and 10 picks, completing 53% of his passes along the way.
Reagor’s production took a dip as a result, catching 43 of his 88 targets for 611 yards, 14.2 yards per reception, and five touchdowns. But as opposed to toxic traits and selfish emotions, Reagor understood the bigger picture.
I mean, it was just a learning experience. I feel like it just gave me a chance to show what type of real teammate, real person I am. I mean, it was tough, but it was something that I wouldn’t make an excuse for. It was just something, you know, that’s how the game goes sometimes. I feel like it made me a better player, a better person, a better teammate in the end.
The speedster from TCU has a lot of weight on his shoulders as he heads into his first season as a pro but it isn’t something that he can’t handle. In high school, during Jalen’s junior year, the young wideout separated the AC joint in his shoulder in a must-win game with playoff implications. When the game was on the line, Reagor stepped up to carry his team to victory.
In a 4th and 20 situation, Jalen Reagor soared to catch a pass over a defender. Once he caught the pass, Reagor landed on his injured shoulder but managed to hold on to the ball to seal the game. Moments like this have prepared Reagor for the career that he is going to have with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He’s not a trash talker, he’s about action. In his mind, there’s nothing that he can’t do. Which is why the Eagles needed Reagor more than he needed them. Say it with me one more time in your most Jason Kelce tone: hungry dogs run faster.
To be honest, I feel like I’m just the most versatile. I can do everything. You know, I feel like I haven’t even gotten close to my ceiling. You know, I can play any position. Like I said, when I’m on the field it’s more than 11 players on the offense. Really just the way I play my game. I feel like it’s on film and it’s going to be fun and I’m ready to play.
It’s all apart of Reagor’s mentality as a player, he doesn’t see himself as a one-dimensional football player. He’s a receiver until he catches that ball when that ball is in his hands he’s a running back moving in and out of traffic. What could you expect from a player that finished with 1,000+ receiving yards while playing with three different Quarterbacks? Jalen believes in getting the job done by any means necessary.
This combination of a composed young man and an explosive wide receiver add a dynamic that has been missing from this locker room. With the ‘Alshonymous source-gate’ headlines dominating all of last year and there being countless character concerns elsewhere, Reagor is the serene receiver needed to hit the reset button.
The young wide receiver is stepping into the spotlight in a city that has lacked a reliable playmaker since the beginning of Doug Pederson’s tenure. The Eagles have failed to have a receiver record a 1,000-yard season since Jeremy Maclin did it before leaving for Kansas City.
With a team that’s expected to be a contender year in and year out, Reagor will have to find a way to shake the rookie jitters to help take his team over the top. Luckily for the Eagles, Reagor has a knack for showing up and playing hero, and with a quarterback like Carson Wentz at the helm who can elevate his game, the chemistry between the two should only fuel what promises to be a scintillating first-year.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
