The Eagles Quietly Assembled The Most Dangerous Offense In The NFC

Philadelphia bolstered the wide receiver position and will provide Carson Wentz with many dynamic pass-catching options in 2020

By BetQL Staff - May 7, 2020, 1:47pm EDT

Per DraftKings, the Philadelphia Eagles have +135 odds to win the NFC East, +900 odds to win the NFC Championship and +2000 odds to win the Super Bowl. Based on their projected offensive starters following a stellar 2020 NFL Draft haul, those bets all have a realistic chance to win. CLICK HERE to lock them in right now or continue reading to get the full picture of the team's dynamic offense.

In the Draft, GM Howie Roseman and his staff selected WR Jalen Reagor (TCU) with the 21st pick in the 1st Round, QB Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) with the 53rd pick in the 2nd Round, LB Davion Taylor (Colorado) with the 103rd pick in the 3rd Round, S K’Von Wallace (Clemson) with the 127th pick in the 4th Round, OL Jack Driscoll (Auburn) with the 145th pick in the 4th Round, WR John Hightower (Boise State) with the 168th pick in the 5th Round, LB Shaun Bradley (Temple) with the 196th pick in the 6th Round, WR Quez Watkins (Southern Miss) with the 200th pick in the 6th Round, OT Prince Tega Wanogho (Auburn) with the 210th pick in the 6th Round and LB Casey Toohill (Stanford) with the 233rd pick in the 7th Round.

As expected, the Eagles addressed their glaring need: the wide receiver position. The 5’11, 195-pound, 21-year-old speedster caught 43 passes for 611 yards and five touchdowns in his junior season at TCU, but showed off his potential in a more potent Horned Frogs offense in 2018, when he caught 72 passes for 1,061 yards (1,231 scrimmage yards) and 13 total touchdowns. He will likely be utilized in a variety of ways, in the backfield, inside and outside alongside Alshon Jeffrey, DeSean Jackson and newcomer Marquise Goodwin. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward, Robert Davis, Deontay Burnett, Marcus Green and Shelton Gibson could also factor into the mix, but there’s a chance that Hightower or Watkins could also make the 53-man roster. Hightower is a 6’2, 172-pounder who caught 51 passes for 943 yards and eight touchdowns for Boise State. Over his two years at BSU, he was a true deep threat as evidenced by his 17.6 career yard-per-catch mark. He also picked up 317 more yards on 24 carries (13.2 yards per rush) with two scores on the ground. Watkins is also 6’2 and checks in at 190 pounds. He caught 64 passes for 1,178 yards and six touchdowns and his 18.4 yards per catch also indicates how dangerous he was. While the depth chart is currently unknown, it’s obvious that Roseman and the front office made bolstering the group a major priority.

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The major shock was the selection of Hurts in the 2nd Round. With Nate Sudfeld or Kyle Lauletta slated to be the backup quarterback heading into the Draft, it was clear that the team felt that the former Oklahoma and Alabama standout was worth the high pick, even with Carson Wentz as their undisputed starter. Wentz played all of Philadelphia’s games for the first time in his four-year career last season, even when he wasn’t at full strength. Not only will Hurts likely be a viable backup, but there’s a chance that he will also play a role in the team’s offense based on his elite athleticism (think Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints). At Oklahoma last season, Hurts threw for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdowns and added another 1,323 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground through 14 games played. Having a weapon like that on the sidelines will allow coach Doug Pederson to be creative since he’s going to continue calling the plays with no offensive coordinator in 2020.

Interestingly, the two offensive linemen that the Eagles selected were college teammates at Auburn. Driscoll spent time at UMass before ending up there, but played left guard, left tackle in addition to right tackle. Due to knee concerns, Wanogho slipped in the Draft, but was Auburn’s left tackle in 2019. While there’s uncertainty attached to that knee, he could end up being a major steal due to his surprising athleticism for his size. At this moment, Philadelphia’s offensive line consists of starters Andre Dillard, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson while Matt Pryor, Nate Herbig, Jordan Mailata, Luke Juriga, Sua Opeta, Keegan Render and Julian Good-Jones all figure to be in the mix in addition to the two rookies, who will most likely provide instant quality depth. When fully healthy, the Eagles didn’t have a single weak link on their o-line last season and ranked first on Pro Football Focus’ end-of-season ratings. So, it’s clear that these two rookies are in a great position to learn from quality veterans.

Now the question becomes the impact that the newcomers will have. The Eagles threw the ball 58.8% of the time last season, which ranked 20th in the NFL in frequency, and averaged 23.2 points per game, which ranked 15th. With Miles Sanders and third-down, Darren Sproles-esque Boston Scott slated to handle most of the work at running back with Corey Clement as a logical change-of-pace option, the Eagles will likely continue to run the ball with efficiency, but there’s a solid chance that Wentz and company make some strides through the air. Think about his weapons. Not only will Jeffrey be a dangerous weapon on the outside and in the red zone, but the tight end combination of Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert might be the best pass-catching duo in the entire NFL. The trio of Jackson, Goodwin and Reagor will make life awfully difficult for opposing secondaries since all of them will have the ability to take the ball to the house every time they touch the ball due to their elite speed. All signs are pointing to this being one of the top overall offenses in the NFL and Wentz should thrive.

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Note: the advice above is the analysis of the author and does not necessarily reflect the position of BetQL. The outcomes described are not guaranteed in any way.

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