Eagles 'What If?': Jalen Hurts Praised By Justin Jefferson

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was mentioned by the Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson as one of the league's top quarterbacks, something DeAndre Hopkins echoed in May.

PHILADELPHIA – They could’ve been teammates. Should’ve been teammates.

Instead of taking Justin Jefferson in the 2020 draft, the Philadelphia Eagles veered left, way left, and into the kind of gnarly greenside rough seen in U.S. Open golf, when they drafted Jalen Reagor.

The Minnesota Vikings were only too happy to grab Jefferson right after the Eagles took Reagor with the 21st overall pick.

Reagor was a flop. The Eagles saved their draft by taking Jalen Hurts in the second round.

Hurts has become one of the league's best at his position.

Reagor, well, he caught just 64 passes for just 695 yards in two seasons before being traded to the Vikings and, ironically, is teammates with Jefferson. Reagor is on his way to washing out of Minnesota, too, with just eight receptions for 104 yards in his first season there.

Jefferson has soared and appears on his way to becoming one of the greatest to ever play the position.

Asked by Danilo Lacalle to name his five, Jefferson went with Hurts at No. 4.

"Number four, I'd have to pick Jalen Hurts," Jefferson said. "Gotta respect his game and (for) bringing Philly to the championship."

Above the Eagles' quarterback were the Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, the New York Jets’ Aaron Rodger, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow. In the fifth spot was the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen.

Interestingly, Jefferson's current quarterback, Kirk Cousins, wasn't on his list.

Jefferson, of course, isn’t going anywhere. The Vikings are expected to lock him down with a long-term deal at some point.

The Eagles had their chance to grab him, but that ship sailed. To the credit of Howie Roseman, the Eagles general manager didn’t dwell on the botched pick of Reagor over Jefferson.

He traded up two spots in the following year’s draft and landed DeVonta Smith. The following year, on draft night in 2022, Roseman traded for superstar A.J. Brown.

The pairing helped the Eagles make a Super Bowl appearance last year. Jefferson has yet to play on the game’s biggest stage.

There is another player, however, the Eagles could bring in, and that is DeAndre Hopkins.

Shortly after his release from the Arizona Cardinals, the 31-year-old went on the “I am Athlete” podcast and listed Hurts as the second QB he’d like to play for behind only Allen, but ahead of Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, and the Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert.

Hopkins is still available as a free agent.

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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