How the Eagles would make history with another 1st-round wide receiver originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Very few teams in NFL history have tried as hard as the Eagles to find wide receivers.
Mainly because very few teams in NFL history have failed as spectacularly trying to find wide receivers.
So they keep trying.
From Kenny Jackson to Freddie Mitchell to Jalen Reagor, the Eagles have missed more than they’ve hit when it comes to 1st-round wideouts.
Hits: Mike Quick in 1982, Jeremy Maclin in 2009 and DeVonta Smith in 2021.
Misses: Jackson in 1984, Mitchell in 2001, Nelson Agholor, 2015, Reagor in 2020.
From 1984 through 2020, the Eagles drafted five WRs in the first round, and four of them appeared in our Greatest Busts in Eagles History earlier this week.
Not good.
The 2nd-round hasn’t been so great either, although it did produce DeSean Jackson in 2008. Mike Bellamy, Victor Bailey and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside were misses, Todd Pinkston and Reggie Brown had their moments but were ultimately disappointments and Jordan Matthews had a very good first few years before drifting out of relevance.
Add it up and you have a team that hasn’t drafted a Pro Bowl WR in 14 years, has drafted just one in the last 20 years, just two in the last 40 years, just three in the last 50 years.
And it’s hard to find bigger misses in consecutive years with 1st- and 2nd-round picks than Arcega-Whiteside and Reagor.
Which brings us to this year’s draft.
It sure seems possible the Eagles will once again take a receiver early. Smith had a promising rookie year, Quez Watkins was very good for a second-year 6th-round pick and Zach Pascal is a functional backup.
But if the Eagles are serious about surrounding Jalen Hurts with enough talent to flourish, that’s not nearly enough.
And they know it.
This draft has terrific receiver talent in both the first and second rounds, and the Eagles have three of the first 51 picks.
Story continues
Everything points to the Eagles cranking it up and…