The Eagles drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts, now, what’s next?
25 April 2020 DRAFT
So, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts… now, what’s next?
Obviously, let’s address the elephant in the room, Carson Wentz is the starting quarterback. He’s the one player the Eagles have been attempting to build around. Hurts is not going to come in and take his job.
Now that that is out of the way, why did the Eagles take Hurts in the second round?
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman spoke after the pick and was stated saying the quarterback position is the most important position in sports. And, he said the Eagles want to become a “ quarterback factory.”
Roseman also continued to say that the move has nothing to do about Wentz which we know. There’s no need to overthink this, the Eagles took Hurts to develop him and see where it takes them.
Hurts has a great story, he was benched for fifth overall pick Tua Tagovailoa, but came back to lead Alabama in the SEC championship game. Next season, he transferred to Oklahoma were this past season he threw for 3,851 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 1,298 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. Because of his success, he was nominated for the Heisman trophy.
He’s a winner and he’s a great teammate. He’s someone who’s going to come into the Eagles team and grow as a person. Hurts is going to help push Wentz to be the best quarterback he can be. It’s a fascinating position to be in for the Eagles, because Hurts’ ability to run.
You can pair the two on the field and use him as a runner in different packages. Hurts can even take Wentz off the field for some plays in different sets. And now, obviously with Wentz’s durability concerns, you have a backup. For the most part, with Hurts he can offer you a few unique opportunities on game-day, if the Eagles find a way to use him, he could have some use for him.
Using a second round pick on him seems like a reach. However, sometimes you have to bite the bullet for a quarterback. Using both Wentz and Hurts could end up being beneficial for the Eagles. Eventually down the road, you cannot pay them both a lot of money, that is if Hurts develops really well. But for now, the Eagles have a young versatile quarterback to develop.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter