While we are still five weeks away from the end of the 2021 season, there are some major questions on the roster for the 2022 team. After picking a wide receiver in the first round in the past two drafts, the position is still giving Eagles fans agita.
Of Jalen Hurts‘ 211 completions, 83 have gone to Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith. That’s 39% of them. While it may not look like a large number, no other receiver has more than 28 receptions from Hurts through 12 games (the Eagles’ 13th game is not included due to change in QB).
I was very hesitant before the season, and even through the first half of the season, to call Jalen Reagor a bust. But he’s on pace to have close to 100 yards less than he did his rookie year, while playing six more games in 2021. That’s unacceptable.
Should the Eagles three-peat at WR in the first round? Maybe. But more realistically, they will address that need in free agency and maybe use a late round flier on another. They’ve found some luck in that department with Quez Watkins.
So what are there options and what do I think happens? (Since I know you want to know what I think).
Free Agency
Top Tier
- Davante Adams
- Chris Godwin
- Allen Robinson
- Mike Williams
- Michael Gallup
Intriguing Youth
- D.J. Chark
- Christian Kirk
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
One Year Deal Vets
- Antonio Brown
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Jamison Crowder
- Will Fuller V
- Cordarelle Patterson
There are other names that will make it to free agency, but I’m not here to speculate. This offseason may go down as the most expensive offseason for wide receiver needy teams, since each deal may reset the market for the next. Davante Adams is set to become the highest paid wide receiver in league history. Amari Cooper currently holds that title with a $100 million contract. I doubt Adams will want less than that.
The Draft
Early Round Picks
- Chris Olave
- Jahan Dotson
- Treylon Burks
- Garrett Wilson
- George Pickens
- Drake London
- John Metchie III
- David Bell
- Jameson Williams
Mid Round Picks
- Jalen Tolbert
- Zay Flowers
- Wan’Dale Robinson
- Kyle Phillips
- Khalil Shakir
- Christian Watson
Late Round Picks
- Tre Turner
- Justyn Ross
- Alec Pierce
- Dontay Demus Jr.
- Xavier Hutchinson
- Joseph Ngata
There is a plethora of serviceable receivers in the mid-late rounds that I think the Eagles can survive without drafting a consensus top option such as Treylon Burks or Jameson Williams, although I think they’d be great additions. Out of the late round picks, I really like Joseph Ngata. He has size (6’3″) and is what Nick Sirianni wants in a WR: allergic to banana routes and a willing (and able!) blocker.
Offseason prediction
With around $27 million in cap space, the Eagles could be major players for at least one marquee free agent. They have plenty of other needs to try and sign a player for top dollar, but I think they desperately need a 1c option to DeVonta Smith’s 1a and Dallas Goedert’s 1b. With his familiarity with Nick Sirianni (2017 only) and Shane Steichen (2017-2020), the Eagles make sense as the most logical landing spot for Mike Williams. His market value calls for a 4 year $62.3 million contract, which would make him the 17th highest paid wide receiver. Maybe Howie (or someone else PLEASE) could do his typical “dummy years” on the contract so the AAV isn’t too high since Williams has a pretty extensive injury history, but this seems like a marriage made in heaven.
As far as the draft goes, I do not think they three-peat in first round (opinion subject to change), but I do think they draft a WR somewhere in the 4th-6th. My guess will be Christian Watson out of NDSU.
Bonus prediction
Jalen Reagor gets traded.
Nelson Agholor had a ROUGH first two years, as is the case with Reagor, and then rebounded to be a pivotal part of the 2017 Super Bowl team. However, Reagor isn’t showing anything to hint at a third year break out in 2022. The Titans (met with Reagor prior to draft) and Bills make sense as they’ll go into the draft with wide receiver questions. Either a player that didn’t get much playing time/disappointed in 2021 or a mid-round pick could be the price.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
