EAGLES’ MONSTROUS 6-FOOT-7 RECEIVER COULD MAKE BIG IMPACT
The Philadelphia Eagles boast one of the best wide receiver tandems in football in the form of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but beyond those two, the Eagles are actually lacking on the depth chart.
They did sign Parris Campbell, but his NFL career has been largely defined by injuries. They also added DeVante Parker, but he abruptly announced his retirement after joining Philadelphia.
So, who will step up in Philly’s receiving corps?
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks rookie wide out Johnny Wilson could be the answer.
Wilson is built more like a tight end than a wide receiver, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing in the neighborhood of 240 pounds. However, he still managed to run a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, which is impressive for a player his size.
Somehow, the Florida State product lasted all the way until the sixth round, where the Eagles scooped him up with the 185th overall pick.
He caught 41 passes for 617 yards and a couple of touchdowns last season, and in 2022, he hauled in 43 receptions for 897 yards and five scores—good for an incredible average of 20.9 yards per catch.
Wilson’s blend of size and athleticism could cause major problems for opposing secondaries in 2024.
Will Jalen Hurts be able to find his receivers in 2024?
Of course, in order to be a truly successful pass-catcher on the NFL level, you need a good quarterback throwing you the football.
Jalen Hurts definitely appeared to be on the rise two years ago, finishing second in MVP voting and leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance.
However, Hurts took a massive step back in 2023, throwing 23 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while committing 20 turnovers overall. He posted an 89.1 passer rating, which was much more similar to his first full season as a starter in 2021 (87.2) than his breakout campaign in 2022 (101.5).
So, was Hurts’ 2022 season an outlier? Or was 2023 just a hiccup in the signal-caller’s rise to prominence?
The 25-year-old has some great weapons at his disposal in Brown, Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. Philadelphia also added running back Saquon Barkley in free agency, and who knows? Maybe Wilson will end up being one heck of a steal.
But Hurts will absolutely need to be considerably better in 2024 than he was this past year if Philly wants to have any chance of contending for a Super Bowl again.
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