Why the Eagles shouldn't try to find a WR in the draft

The Eagles have this truckload of draft picks. Three 1's, then a pick each in the 2nd through 4th rounds, then five more picks in the next couple rounds.

This is the first time they’ve ever had three 1’s, the first time since 1995 they’ve had five of the first 83 picks. 

They also have this desperate need for a wide receiver.

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Joe Buck wasn’t thinking about the Eagles when he said to Troy Aikman during Sunday’s Rams-49ers game, “Troy, they say you’re only as good as your third receiver."

But he sure could have been.

Look at the Rams. They don’t just have Cooper Kupp, they also have Van Jefferson and Robert Woods. And when Woods gets hurt, they go out and get Odell Beckham. Look at the Bengals. They don’t just have JaMarr Chase, they also have Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

You watch the Cowboys and you see the value of CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. And then Cedrick Wilson Jr. makes plays up after Gallup gets hurt. Yeah, Tom Brady had another historic season, but he had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown most of the year. 

So if edge rusher and cornerback are the Eagles’ biggest needs this offseason, another weapon for Jalen Hurts – or whoever the quarterback turns out to be – is imperative. 

This is non-negotiable.

The Eagles made the playoffs this year with DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor as their top three WRs, and that’s flat-out not good enough. 

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Smith is a legit No. 1, Watkins is a No. 2 who’s best suited to be a No. 3, and Reagor as we all know is a No. 3 who’s best suited to be inactive. And JJAW … if he’s even here it’ll be as a special teamer.

You won’t get an argument from anyone that the Eagles need to upgrade. But the way to achieve that isn’t by spending another premium draft pick on a receiver. They need a veteran.

Here’s why:

1. The Eagles need defensive playmakers more than anything, and the place to get them is the 1st round. They need help at every level on defense, and with three picks in the top 20, they have the opportunity to find the feared edge rusher, the impact linebacker and the speedy corner they need so badly. Or even two linemen and a d-back. At least they already have a WR1, so they’re not starting from scratch when it comes to receivers. They just don’t have an elite edge rusher or linebacker at all, and while Darius Slay is elite, he’s also 31. Simply put, defense is this team’s biggest priority and has to be the focus of the 1st round.

2. I don’t trust Howie to draft another receiver in the first couple rounds. I don’t even like using the word bust, but J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Jalen Reagor are failed draft picks on a historic level. JJAW is only the 4th WR in NFL history – and first since the late 1980s – drafted in the 1st or 2nd round to play in at least 40 games in his first three seasons and have fewer than 300 yards. Reagor is only the 4th WR in NFL history drafted in the 1st round to start at least 24 games in his first two seasons and have fewer than 700 yards. These aren’t just disappointing picks. They are all-time catastrophes. Smith looks great, but he was a top-10 pick, and the farther down in the round you go, the less I trust this front office to nail a WR pick. Roseman’s record drafting on defense is better. Guys like Derek Barnett and Rasul Douglas had disappointing Eagles careers, but at least they were functional starters. Reagor and JJAW aren’t even that.  

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3. This WR core needs a veteran. I just think there’s tremendous value in having an older guy in the group when it comes to studying, practicing and playing. Alshon Jeffery overall had a disappointing Eagles career, but his value in 2017 was immeasurable. Look at what Jason Avant meant to a young group of receivers for several years. Or even going back to Irving Fryar, who had his best years in his mid-30s as an Eagle. Now, the Eagles’ track record bringing in WRs from other teams is not good.  But all those guys – Rueben Randle, Kamar Aiken, Steve Smith, Chris Givens, Miles Austin, Mike Wallace, Markus Wheaton, Dorial Green-Beckham, Arrelious Benn – were essentially budget guys trying to hang on for one more check. The Eagles have cap space to go after a very good veteran free agent, and there are plenty available. I wouldn’t expect guys like Davante Adams and Gallup to hit free agency in March, but you never know. Christian Kirk, Allen Robinson and Godwin are more realistic targets. But the Eagles need an established pro in that room, someone who can come in on Day 1 and make plays. Not another long-range project.

Free agency is a crapshoot, and there’s certainly no shortage of failed big-money free agent wide receivers. I just feel like the Eagles’ hopes of landing that WR2 they need are much greater in free agency than the draft.

Kirk is only 25 and played for current Eagles WR coach Aaron Moorehead at Texas A&M. Robinson had a bad year but look at the Bears’ QB situation. He’s had three 1,000-yard seasons, and he’s only 28. Godwin is also 25 and has averaged 1,100 yards the last three years. And there are other intriguing guys who may hit the open market as well.

The Eagles have a lot of picks, and if it makes sense to take a shot on a young WR outside the first couple rounds, I’m all for it. Look at Watkins, who was a 6th-round pick two years ago. He’s a nice player.

But this team needs weapons now. And I’ll take my chances on a guy with a proven track record who’s in his prime over another potential Reagor or JJAW.