The Eagles' decision to select Jalen Reagor with their first-round pick has shocked much of Philadelphia's fan base. Some fans like the pick while others don't, but only time will tell if it was a good choice. However, my concern with this pick is his dropped passes, especially since drops were a major problem for the Eagles in 2019.
In his prospect report, it states that he has "uneven tape in competitive catch situations" and that his "ball skills fail to match athletic ability", which are both red flags if you ask me. This pick comes at an even bigger risk since the Eagles didn't bolster the position in free agency. Though he seems like he's ready to play and contribute from his highlight reel, he has a lot of work to do to make him an elite receiver in the league.
He has the speed to get separation, but none of that will matter if he can't catch the ball. In 2019, Reagor dropped 9.7% of the passes thrown his way (although some of those can be attributed to poor passes from his incompetent quarterback). Check out the video down below; the beginning shows how well he would fit in if he lives up to his potential, and the end shows what the Eagles will most likely get in the "drops the ball version".
After all the recent bust picks Howie Roseman has chosen, the Eagles can not afford Reagor to trend that way. New wide receiver coach Aaron Moorehead must focus on Reagor's flaws to try to keep him from becoming Nelson Agholor 2.0 so that Jason Kelce won't have to make his next Super Bowl parade speech again with Reagor's name instead of Agholor's.
I hope he proves the doubters wrong, because if he is the player that Roseman elected to take over Justin Jefferson, then he must have seen something special in this young player. He checks off many boxes of what the Eagles needs in a receiver, he just lacks the ball skills to carry out the ability of his strengths.
Let's just hope he can leave his missed opportunities in the past and becomes the star player the Eagles need him to be. It will take a lot of work to become better than all the other receivers in the 2020 draft that were taken before him. Maybe (hopefully) the new wide receiver coach this year will make a huge difference and turn Reagor into a great asset for the Birds for years to come.
