Photoshoot Presh: How High Will These Jalens Fly for the Birds in 2020?
Jalen Reagor was selected 21st overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, to the dismay of countless Eagles fans off of their first impression.
Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson out of LSU was a fan favorite leading up to Draft Day, but the Birds ultimately believed Reagor would be a better overall fit for the offense.
Doug Pederson and company vowed to add more speed and explosive plays to the Eagles offense in 2020, and the commitment to their plan started when they selected Reagor in the First-Round.
Although Coach Pederson revealed the Eagles are planning for him to “stick to one position” while he learns the offense…it seems as though Reagor has a high learning curve.
Pederson hinted at the fact that he will be assigned the duties of an outside receiver:
“They’ve just been emphasizing to me to learn X and Z and just to learn,” Reagor said “Like I said, I pride myself on being adaptable to every situation. I feel like if I know the whole playbook rather than just X or Z, then it’ll make it easier to move me around. They’re emphasizing just to learn and take in everything“
As far as production is concerned, it would not be too far-fetched to see the rookie pass-catcher eclipse 60 receptions in 2020.
Reagor will more than likely be a featured weapon in this offense, especially after speed receiver Marquise Goodwin decided to opt-out of the 2020 season for a very understandable reason.
The fact that Alshon Jeffery will start the season on the PUP list also increases Reagor’s odds to see substantial snaps to start off the season.
Look for Reagor to take advantage of the opportunity and seal a starting spot at Wide-Out.
Prediction
- 61 Receptions
- 818 Receiving yards
- 4 Receiving TD’s
- 15 Rushing attempts
- 87 Rushing yards
- 1 Rushing TD
Jalen Hurts, on the other hand, is not expected to see the field as much as the aforementioned Jalen.
One can argue that Hurts may have been the most questionable pick in the 2020 NFL Draft when the Birds picked him up in the Second-Round. Despite the controversy that surrounded the selection, the Philadelphia Eagles organization is thrilled with the type of talent and player that Hurts is. The team also admires the quality of his character and continues to praise Hurts as the ultimate team player based on his time in college at Alabama and Oklahoma.
Hurts was able to score an astounding 20 rushing TD’s in 2019, so expect the Eagles to feature him as a part of their Red-Zone package this upcoming season.
Speaking of how the Eagles will use Hurts’ skill set, the Philadelphia media continues to ask Hurts if he will be utilized in a “Taysom Hill” type of manner, but the rookie QB had this to say as a response:
“I mean, I don’t want to get into the semantics of those things, I’m just worried about improving. I’ve said it three times and I don’t want to come off or come across anyway, I’m just trying to improve every day. I’m just trying to be the best quarterback I can be every day for this team.”
The word quarterback is key in Hurts’ answer. The rookie is focused on being the best QB he can be, meaning he sees himself as an effective signal-caller at the next level (as he rightfully should).
Due to the lack of offseason preparation and loss of pre-season games, Hurts might not see as much action as we anticipated.
Prediction
- 22/46 Passing
- 264 Passing yards
- 2 Passing TD’s
- 31 Rushing attempts
- 275 Rushing yards
- 3 Rushing TD’s
We are also anticipating for Hurts to see his first career start at home in the 2020 season finale against the Washington Football Team.
By the time Week 17 rolls around, an NFC East Champion is already expected to have been crowned (hopefully in the Eagles favor), so there won’t be any sense in playing Wentz in a meaningless game. Hurts will of course see the field earlier than the final week, as his package of plays will be sprinkled on the gridiron throughout the course of the season.
It will be interesting to see how much Jalen Hurts has developed after a learning full season under the “Quarterback Factory” coaching tree.
Featured Image: Instagram/@jalenreagor
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Eagles