In an otherwise flawless draft weekend, Howie Roseman and the Eagles couldn’t help themselves.
With seven draft picks made in the 2023 NFL Draft, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team used one of them on a quarterback. When the Eagles selected Stanford Quarterback, Tanner McKee in the sixth round, there weren’t any issues with a potential controversy or bizarre reasoning.
Preparation is key for Eagles
Still, the question is worth asking: why did the Eagles select Tanner McKee, a quarterback who won’t see the field at all in 2023?
For Roseman, the example of why the selection needed to be made was in their last win of the 2022-23 season.
“We can go back to the championship game and the 49ers were playing their fourth-string quarterback, and I think for us, you look at that, and these guys are hard to find. If you like one, you’d better take one,” Roseman explained.
Philadelphia already has Ian Book and Marcus Mariota behind franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts. While McKee won’t be even involved in the preparation behind Hurts, the competition at backup quarterback is something to watch.
“We like Ian [Book], obviously we like Marcus [Mariota]. This isn’t anything about them. This was about that we think it’s a really important position. We had a guy who was highly graded on the board, and so we took him. It’s no reflection of anyone else,” Roseman added.
McKee’s ready for the challenge
In two seasons as Stanford’s starting quarterback, McKee totaled over 5,000 yards passing with 28 touchdowns and 15 picks. There were some in the draft process that felt McKee’s measurables were worth the signal-caller going as high as the second round. Now in a quarterback room with two veterans, the Cardinal captain is ready to gain valuable experience from both.
“I think it’s huge having two guys that have had a lot of experience and have played a lot of games in the NFL I think is really big. I’m excited for the challenge of the speed and anticipation that is required to play in the NFL, and I feel like those guys can really help me in that aspect,” McKee explained after being drafted.
As a traditional pocket passer, McKee appears to be against the norm of what most quarterbacks in college are like. But he believes that he’s done and played enough of a different system to be a valued member of the Eagles.
“I’m going to bring whatever the coaches and whatever the Eagles need from me. In offense, I ran a spread, we’re going to run a lot of RPOs and things like that. Stanford was a lot more pro-style offense. I’m excited to fit in with a very good offense, obviously, with an unbelievable offensive line and tons of weapons on the outside,” McKee added. “I’m just excited to kind of learn the offense and really be whatever player the coaches, my teammates, and the organization needs me to be. I feel like I have a lot of different assets, and I’m excited to display those.”
Philadelphia may have four quarterbacks on the roster now thanks to a sixth-round pick, but it’s clear that McKee has shown enough to warrant the Eagles’ trust in joining their roster.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
