Philadelphia Eagles make shocking Jalen Hurts pick in 2nd round

The Philadelphia Eagles surprised the NFL world tonight, drafting Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts. Instant analysis and fan reaction from 2020 NFL Draft Round Two.

Apparently, the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t content to let the Green Bay Packers make the only surprising quarterback decision in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Philadelphia Eagles have drafted Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts at 53 overall, throwing a major curveball to fans and the NFL world. Why did general manager Howie Roseman draft a quarterback in the second round? Was it about drafting a capable backup the front office believed in the second round? Or is there something else going on? Let’s explore.

Instant Analysis

First off, the Philadelphia Eagles drafting a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft was not unexpected. With the exodus of Nick Foles last offseason, the team has been lacking a solid backup quarterback. They drafted Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson in the 2019 draft, but they released him before the start of the regular season.

As a last-minute option last season, the team brought in recently retired journeyman quarterback Josh McCown to serve as the backup to Carson Wentz, with homegrown talent Nate Sudfeld as QB3. McCown saw limited action all season, playing half a drive in Week Two when Wentz was being checked by medical experts for a possible concussion.

Of course, Philadelphia Eagles fans will remember the last time McCown played for the team. It was in the Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks. Jadeveon Clowney’s late hit to the back of Wentz’s helmet concussed him, removing him for the remainder of the game.

That was the third playoff trip the Philadelphia Eagles had made without their star quarterback due to injury. And while a concussion, broken back and torn ACL are all freak accidents in the service of the team, there is no denying they are all unfortunately timed accidents. Without a capable backup like Foles on the roster, the Philadelphia Eagles lost that Wild Card game, missing on two manageable fourth downs in Seattle territory.

The fact the Philadelphia Eagles front office gave Wentz an extension last offseason is proof the team believes in him. Head coach Doug Pederson’s entire offense is built around giving Wentz the best opportunity to succeed. It is doubtful they plan to rebuild their offense around a dual-threat quarterback with accuracy issues. But the pick shows the front office may have concerns about Wentz as a reliable starter in the postseason.

Roseman has a history of keeping a deep bench of quarterbacks. Very few teams carry three quarterbacks and the Philadelphia Eagles always consistently carry three into a season: a starter, a backup, and a developmental guy. They have a history of trading these backup quarterbacks, using them in trade negotiations more often than not.

The first season Wentz was in the league, the team went into training camp with Sam Bradford on a two-year/$36 million deal and Chase Daniel on a three-year/$21 million deal. Before the season started Bradford was traded away for draft picks and Daniel was gone the next offseason. Despite Wentz proving himself his rookie season, Roseman still chose to bring in a former starter to be his veteran backup. He ended up being the Super Bowl MVP that season, winning an improbable playoff run.

The point is Roseman prefers to keep plenty of quarterback talent on the roster. It is the best insurance policy an NFL team can have for the postseason. Last season, the New Orleans Saints kept two starting-quality quarterbacks on the roster. When one went down, the other one stepped in, keeping the team’s hopes afloat. In the same season, the Tennessee Titans brought in Ryan Tannehill to play backup. He ended up leading the Titans to the AFC Championship game.

The biggest surprise is how early Roseman chose to draft Hurts. A second-round pick sends a complicated message to the fan base. This is clearly being misunderstood tonight, as Eagles Twitter is very vitriolic about the pick, confused as to why Roseman would draft a quarterback one year after the current starter led the team to the playoffs.

https://twitter.com/footballbigdave/status/1253855257144295424

That confusion and anger are unlikely to go away in a few days. This roster needed a lot of help in the 2020 NFL Draft. Bringing in a quarterback who is universally understood to have accuracy issues in Round Two might not have been the best use of team resources in the 2020 NFL Draft. Not when so many quality players were still available.

Jalen Hurts Analysis

Hurts had a weird college career. He stepped in during his freshman season in 2016, being the first true freshman quarterback to start for Alabama in 30-years. That season he led the Crimson Tide all the way to the National Championship game. An impressive freshman season.

He improved on his freshman season in 2017, however, he was infamously benched during the National Championship game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. Tua eventually won that Championship game, starting the rise of his career. The next year Hurts backed up Tua, stepping in during games for him and even playing in that season’s National Championship game. He would then transfer to the Sooners in 2019, leading them to the first round of the College National Championships.

Hurts has shown a lot of flaws on film, which is why he dropped into Day Two. He shows slow decision making at times and his accuracy on deep passes is frustrating to watch. He can get the ball into the general vicinity of the receiver on deep passes, but expecting any more than that is wishful thinking. Hurts will also hold onto the ball far too long in the pocket, something that is hardly forgiven against NFL pass-rushers.

That being said, Hurts has shown a lot of great things that general managers and coaches will like. As a dual-threat quarterback, he is unafraid to tuck the ball and run. His running back build allows him to run after contact, creating interesting options for the Philadelphia Eagles offense. His ability to be a running threat creates all sorts of options for the offense that quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson have used to put up impressive wins during the regular season.

Hurts also has a great story and leadership potential on the roster. Hurts was benched during a National Championship game, on the biggest stage in college football. But throughout the game and into the next season Hurts composed himself with professionalism and humility. He happily backed up Tua all of 2018, never complaining, always supporting the quarterback that replaced him.

Hurts transferred and had to learn a completely new system at Oklahoma. He led the team in his first and only year to the playoffs, showing a level of raw football intelligence and leadership skills not often seen in a 21-year old.

Conclusion

In the upcoming days, we will likely learn what Roseman has in mind during the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite playing in the College Playoffs four seasons in a row, Hurts is in no shape to start Week One of the 2020 season.

It doesn’t make sense for Hurts to be Wentz’s eventual successor. Wentz just signed a massive extension last offseason, with a ton of guaranteed money. Drafting his successor in the 2020 NFL Draft would seem highly unlikely.

The most likely scenario is Hurts will be a developmental player, someone the Philadelphia Eagles can use as a capable backup and possibly as trade fodder (if need be). Likely, Roseman liked Hurts running ability, his leadership qualities, and his raw athletic profile and pulled the trigger in the second round. Maybe they thought another team would draft him before the third round?

For some fans, the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft is too early. But for a general manager like Roseman, who has consistently valued the quarterback position as the most fundamental position on any roster, drafting a quarterback like Hurts on Day Two makes perfect sense. Good luck explaining that to Wentz fans though.