The Eagles added their third wide receiver in three days Saturday when they selected speedy Boise State wideout John Hightower in the fifth round of the draft.
The Eagles drafted Jalen Reagor in the first round on Thursday and earlier Saturday acquired oft-injured speedster Marquise Goodwin in a trade with the 49ers.
It hasn’t gone exactly the way anybody anticipated, but the Eagles have added three potential weapons to a desultory wide receiver corps since the draft began.
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The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Hightower averaged 18.5 yards per catch this past season, 8th-best in the BCS.
Hightower caught 31-for-504 with six TDs two years ago and then was 51-for-943 with eight TDs this past season. He also averaged a whopping 13.2 yards on 24 carries with two more TDs in his two seasons at Boise State.
Hightower began his college career at Hinds Community College mainly for track, and he earned JUCO All-America honors as a sophomore when he placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles at nationals in 53.27.
But his focus turned to football and after spending 2018 as a part-time starter he blossomed last year.
NFL
This is the first time the Eagles have drafted two wide receivers within the first five rounds since 2014, when they took Jordan Matthews in the second round and Josh Huff in the third. They also did it in 2000 with Todd Pinkston in the first round and Gari Scott in the fourth.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman has now drafted five wide receivers in the last four drafts — Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson in 2017, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside last year and Reagor and Hightower this year.
The Eagles drafted Hightower with the 164th pick overall, a 5th-rounder they acquired earlier Saturday from the Cowboys in exchange for No. 146 overall in the fourth round and a 5th-round pick in the 2021 draft.
The Cowboys selected center Tyler Biadasz of Wisconsin with the pick they acquired from the Eagles.
Hightower is the first player the Eagles have ever drafted out of Boise State, although Quintin Mikell signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and went on to become a Pro Bowl safety.
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