The way the Philadelphia Eagles season went, many are expecting the team to draft a wide receiver either in the first or second round. According to Walter Football, Justin Jefferson is one they’re targeting, but why? Yes, Jefferson is a good talent and will make his presence felt but that’s not what the Eagles need at this point.
Despite the injuries to the receiving core, the Eagles are solid across the board. As with any other team in the NFL, if everyone is healthy, that makes a big difference. But will lightning strike twice in back-to-back seasons and rob them of their top three pass catchers? Highly unlikely. So, with that said, Howie Roseman should roll the dice one more season on his crew.
Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Greg Ward, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside can get the job done. Carson Wentz passed for over 4000 yards in 2019 with no receiver ending the year with more than 500 yards. That says a lot about the potential of the Eagles’ passing attack.
With Jeffery and Jackson out, the Eagles were forced to rely on unproven players, two tight ends, and their running backs. The passing game would finish as the 11th best in the NFL despite their slew of injuries.
What makes the Philadelphia Eagles so deadly in the passing attack is that they employ two tight ends not afraid to go across the middle and make the tough grabs. In 2019, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert combined for 146 receptions for 1523 and 11 touchdowns. With everyone on the field at the same time next season, why would the Eagles need to add more?
Doug Pederson will need to tell Roseman to fill other needs in the draft. The Eagles need help on the defensive side with Malcolm Jenkins stating he won’t play under his current contract and the pending free agency of cornerbacks.
Adding another playmaker at the position makes no sense for a team that won the Super Bowl just two seasons ago with pretty much the same guys. What they need are healthy players. The knock has been their age with Jackson in his early 30’s and Jeffery dealing with a nagging injury. Getting younger is not always the answer.
Ward has shown his ability to make plays, Arcega-Whiteside still has some growing to do but the main core of the Eagles’ attack is still intact and young enough to make the big plays. This is a veteran bunch who has played and won big games. Injuries are a part of the sport and the Eagles understand this.
There is no need to go offense early in the draft when their top concerns are on the other side of the ball. Carson Wentz and company can get in the endzone, it’s keeping the opposition out of theirs that has been the problem for the last three seasons. So, with the 21st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles must go defensive back and let their offense do its job.
