Philadelphia Eagles: Top trade-up targets in 2020 NFL Draft

The five-year Nelson Agholor experiment is now officially over with the Philadelphia Eagles. Rumors are swirling that Alshon Jeffery will be released or traded with a post-June 1 designation to spread his cap hit across two seasons. The excitement felt by the organization just one year ago of DeSean Jackson returning to the city has been replaced with trepidation, as questions about his ability to stay healthy continue to raise doubts about him being a long-term solution.

The Philadelphia Eagles will need to draft at least two wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, as a unit embarrassingly rich in depth just a year ago has been brought low by injuries, regressions, and media-fueled distrust in Jefferys case. While Jackson will likely still be on the team in Week One, the coaching staff will be cautious about depending on him as their number one wide receiver for sixteen or more games a season.

The wide receiver position is deep in the 2020 NFL Draft, but moving up to select one of the top two would be a herculean task and ultimately cost too much draft capital to make happen. Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb are likely the only two “can’t miss” receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft and it would be almost impossible to convince another team to let Roseman trade up.

Short of a major development tanking their draft stock in April, they will likely be out of reach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Henry Ruggs III from Alabama is likely well within reach, making him an intriguing trade-up target for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is number 10 on the latest draft big-board from PFF. While that is eleven spots back from the team’s twenty-first pick in the first round, it is not so far back as to make the move impossible.

The tenth spot in this year’s draft is now held by the Browns, who have Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr slated as their lead wide receivers in 2020. They will likely have little interest in Ruggs, as their key need in this year’s draft will be their offensive line.

Scouting offensive line talent in college is a tricky business and success at the NCAA level does not always guarantee success in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles currently have three fourth-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and could possibly package one or two of them with their first-round pick to move up for Ruggs.

With Ruggs, they would have one of the fastest wide receivers available in the 2020 NFL Draft, one who is not taken off his square by contact and can make plays at all levels of the field. Ruggs ran the fastest 40-yard dash at this year’s Combine, logging in an insanely fast 4.27 seconds, tied for seventh all-time in the drill. His college statistics do not do him justice as he had to contend with Jeudy and other talented Alabama receivers for passes.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1235671929249566721

Even with another first-round wide receiver on the Crimson Tide roster, Ruggs was still able to find meaningful playing time during his three seasons at Alabama. He finished his college career with 24 touchdowns, 98 receptions, and 1,716 yards, according to Sports Reference. He played in 40 games during his time with the Crimson Tide, having a career average 17.5 yards per reception and has averaged 16 yards or more per reception in each of his three college seasons.

Ready for the cherry on top? Ruggs dropped just five passes in three years and just one pass in 2019, according to PFF. Considering Agholor’s dropped passes became a meme in 2019, the Philadelphia Eagles could use a more sure-handed receiver in 2020.