The Eagles had a very interesting draft this past season, and they stuck to their gut with their decisions. Howie Roseman drafted players on what I feel was factored on who would best fit Doug Pederson's system, and who offers a high upside. After drafting Jalen Reagor, Jalen Hurts, Jack Driscoll, and many others, the team is on their way to being a contender. I'm here to write about the rookies to watch and who should be a standout player in their first year.
Jalen Regor
The Eagles had a rough season last year with guys like Alshon Jeffrey and DeSean Jackson going down early in the season and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside having a rough rookie campaign. That left Carson Wentz leading his team with many low-end receivers. This year, the Eagles drafted former TCU receiver Jalen Reagor in the 1st round to add some depth to their receiving core. Reagor offers a lot of upside with blazing speed and the ability to catch the ball in traffic. Reagor was my sixth-ranked receiver in the 2020 draft class. In a run-heavy offense, Reagor’s electrifying speed and potential stood out onscreen. He could end up being a dark horse to be a top-20 receiver this season, much like Terry McLaurin in 2019. Reagor has an extremely talented quarterback in Wentz, and he will have a great coaching staff to help his progression.
John Hightower
Hightower is one of the most underrated receivers out of this previous draft class. He has great attributes that shouldn’t go undervalued. His standout performance at the combine, along with what he displayed to his coaches, is what made the Eagles look at him. Hightower's speed and deep threat ability are above average, and, like Reagor, he is a guy who can go up and get the ball in traffic. I expect the Eagles offense to utilize him similar to the way that Will Fuller IV is utilized in the Houston Texans offense. Hightower has a unique skill set, and with receivers like DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffrey on the team, Hightower could enhance his skills over the next year or two and become a valuable weapon within this Eagles offense.
Jack Driscoll
Driscoll’s role on the team this season could be interesting. As a tackle at the University of Auburn, he was my number seventh-ranked OT last season. Driscoll has impressive attributes, such as a good foundation with his lower half. Along with a strong lower half, he presents a quick first punch that gives him the upper hand within the matchups he faces. Driscoll is much quicker and more agile than most tackles, however, his punches aren’t very strong and don't maintain a strong point of contact. He has the ability to present very well in the run game given his intangibles, which given the improvements everyone is expecting from Miles Sanders in the backfield, Driscoll should likely be in on more of the snaps when they are running the ball.
Davion Taylor
Taylor was an underrated prospect of mine in this past year's linebacker class. He was one of the only bright pieces on a terrible defense at the University of Colorado. Taylor has amazing speed, and in a 4-3 scheme, he offers the coverage upside you’d like to have from an outside linebacker. He is an ideal linebacker for the Eagles defense, and with the right coaching, he will have the ability to be a very exciting linebacker. If Taylor can improve his tackling, he could create a ceiling for himself similar to Devin White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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