Jalen Reagor Could Become a Popular Pick

Eagles surprised some fans, many of whom don't seem pleased, when they selected TCU receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft

This isn’t a popular pick the Eagles made Thursday night judging by my social media feeds.

Not a single down has been played, and there will be plenty of time to evaluate whether or not the Eagles made the right selection when they picked TCU receiver Jalen Reagor with the 21 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, but right now, in the heat of the moment, the majority of the fan base seems disappointed, if not downright angry.

The crushing blow actually came a few picks earlier when the Dallas Cowboys pulled a fast one and took Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was the apple of most Eagle fans’ eye. The Cowboys plucked Lamb with the 17 pick, and fans wanted to know why GM Howie Roseman couldn’t find a way to move up to No. 16 with the Atlanta Falcons.

“Obviously at the 21 pick we spent a lot of time watching what’s going in front of us and we had an opportunity to sit there and try to find out a player that fit us and fit what we were looking for in this offseason,” said general manager Howie Roseman.

Roseman said he didn’t want to send away any of his high picks. Translation: He didn’t want to part with his second-round choice at No. 53, which will be made Friday night.

“For us, we looked at those (trade-up) options,” said Roseman. “It was important to us that certainly we kept our high picks. We haven’t had a lot of those, and guys really weren’t in the range where it was even a consideration we could get somewhere without a really high pick.”

So, maybe Dallas outfoxed the Eagles for Lamb. That Lamb was even there to begin with was a big surprise but an even bigger one when you consider Dallas needs defensive help, especially in the secondary.

Still, Justin Jefferson was available at 21 when the Eagles went on the clock, thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars taking LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.

Jefferson and the Eagles were linked consistently throughout the pre-draft process. On television, they even showed Jefferson smiling and his family celebrating while Philly was on the clock.

It looked like Jefferson would be the pick. Instead of zigging the way everyone thought they would, the Eagles zagged.

It was a bit jarring for many.

Not to Reagor, though. The 5-11, 195-pound speedster who can run faster than his Combine time of 4.47 said he knew the Eagles really liked him and had a feeling they would be the team that took him, saying that hardly a week went by when he didn’t talk to someone from the Eagles, whether it was receivers coach Aaron Moorehead, Roseman, or coach Doug Pederson.

“They stay consistent,” said Reagor. “No matter what the circumstances were, they stayed consistent. I know it's a difference between doing your due diligence and showing real love and when you really want somebody. I can tell the difference for sure.”

Reagor was one of six receivers taken in the first round, and two were taken after him – Jefferson went at No. 22 to the Vikings and the 49ers traded up to No. 25 to take Brandon Aiyuk.

There will be many more taken as the draft continues to unfold, because this is an historically deep group.

There will be plenty of time to compare all five first rounders as their careers unfold, and then we will see if the Eagles were right in their evaluation.

“All these payers are really talented,” said Eagles vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl. “They all have their own specific skills. The one thing that stood out about Jalen was his ability to get outside, his speed, his vertical threat, his ability to go up, play above the rim, catch the football, his 40-plus vertical that transfers to the field and you could see his speed.

“All these players are really talented, and they all have their own specific skills,” said Eagles VP of player personnel Andy Weidl. “The one thing I think that stood out about Jalen was his ability - the outside speed, his vertical threat, his ability to go up, play above the rim, and catch the football.
“His 40-plus vertical inch, that transferred to the field. And you can see his speed. You can see it on tape running by people, down field, going up and making adjustment catches. Then on the return, as a punt returner you can see it, too. So a lot of talented players, believe me. This is what really stood out about Jalen was that vertical threat, his ability to go up and [get the ball] and make big plays.”