It’s week 12 of the NFL season and things are starting to get interesting in Philadelphia. The Eagles have won three of their last four games and are positioning themselves for a possible playoff run. After weeks of bumps and bruises, the offense has an identity and Hurts is at the forefront of it. So how does this affect the upcoming offseason? Where do they stand in the NFL Draft? Let’s take a look.
The Draft Picks
All signs are pointing towards three first-round picks. The Colts are playing good football and Carson Wentz is still the teams’ QB1. If everything goes according to plan then the Eagles will land the Colts pick without a problem. The unfortunate part for Philly is that for some odd reason, the Dolphins have figured out how to win football games as of late.
Miami has won their last three games bringing their record to 4-7. Tua is fighting to keep his QB job without any remorse for our first-round pick. What a terrible guy. Just like the Dolphins, the Eagles have also found their groove which has also pushed back their pick in the draft.
If the NFL season ended today, the Eagles will have selections at the 8th overall pick (Dolphins pick), 12th overall (own pick), and 16th overall pick (Colts pick). We still have 6 weeks to go and a lot can change but for now, this seems to be setting up for a decent draft haul. Also, knowing Roseman, the Eagles won’t stay put at any of those selections if their players are out of reach.
Jalen Hurts
Hurts has been finding ways to win lately. He’s a playmaker with a special ability. Jalen beat the Broncos with his arm as the Eagles established a huge lead in the first half. In the second half, the passing game disappeared as the team relied more on the run to milk the clock. Against the Saints it was a similar story, the Eagles built a huge first-half lead but the offense became a bit conservative in the second half.
Jalen has seemingly disappeared in the second half of the last two games with the passing attack which is more on Nick Sirianni than anyone else. There is the fact that Hurts did look a bit shaky in the pocket during the 3rd quarter but when the Eagles needed him most, Hurts found a way to win with his legs. He had a huge 24-yard run touchdown on 3rd down that sealed the win for Philly and etched his name into Eagles History.
Jalen Hurts is the first Eagles QB to have three rushing touchdowns in a game. He’s also the first QB to do so since Russell Wilson did it a few years back. Odd coincidence, I know. It seems as if Jalen Hurts may be on the verge of buying himself another year as the team’s QB1. His first full season in the NFL is rivaling the likes of Lamar Jackson.
The conclusion
The Eagles have found a way to win on the ground and give Hurts the best opportunity to succeed. During the first half of the season, things seemed to be going in the opposite direction as the team asked Hurts to throw nearly 30 times a game. Now they’re playing a more efficient style of football and Hurts’ ceiling doesn’t look to be anywhere within reach which is great.
If the team can keep on winning and find a way into the playoffs then Jalen has to be the unquestioned franchise QB. If Hurts can grow more in the passing game during the offseason as Lamar Jackson did, then there’s no denying the fact that Philly has a game-changer at the QB position as opposed to the Tim Tebow replica that they thought they had.
I’m going to say this once here and a couple more times on the Flippin’ the Birds podcast; For now, I’m in on Hurts being the team’s QB1. His untapped potential has me too curious to ignore it or walk away from the idea of him being the future. The work ethic is there for him to become a greater passer and an elite playmaker. I’m nearly sold on Jalen Hurts. How about you, Philadelphia?
Photo Credit: Icon Sportswire
