Grading The Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Draft

It would seem like The Eagle’s best draft picks came in the first round, the third round, and then on day 3 of the draft. Maybe I’m wrong and QB Jalen Hurts becomes Taysom Hill 2.0 Time will tell. I will be grading every Eagle’s draft pick individually and then together overall at the end of this article. 

The Philadelphia Eagles First Round Pick: WR Jalen Reagor TCU

Yes, I know that WR Justin Jefferson was still on the board when The Eagles took Jalen Reagor, however, Jefferson really reminds me of former Eagles WR Jordan Matthews so I’d say that they dodged a bullet there and drafted the better player not to mention the far more explosive and dynamic player. As for WR Ceedee Lamb who some debate The Eagles should have traded up for let’s just say another bullet dodged as Lamb, (as I boldly told my editor in a conversation about two months before the NFL draft even took place) has BUST written all over him. The Eagles won big with their first-round pick who is the best WR of the three

in my opinion. Reagor not only has elite speed but is arguably the best route runner of all WRs taken in the first round of this year’s crop of pass-catchers. I truly believe that WR Jalen Reagor will start day one opposite Desean Jackson on the outside and will be in the running for offensive rookie of the year. He’s not only an elite WR but a force to be reckoned with in the return game which is something that The Eagles have not had since Desean Jackson was still in his twenties. He will be a great WR for the team in midnight green not only as a rookie but for many years to come. He reminds me of WR Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs which is obviously a good thing as Hill much like Reagor is a very electrifying playmaker. The Eagles made the right pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. That’s my opinion and I’m standing by it. My grade A+

The Philadelphia Eagles Second Round Pick: QB Jalen Hurts Oklahoma

It’s very difficult to grade QB Jalen Hurts because right now not even my friend and mentor the greatly talented Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice has a clue to what Hurts is really going to do as a rookie for the Eagles. Is he going to play WR, RB, and QB all at once and run a good number of very exciting trick plays that are very fun to watch like Taysom Hill in New Orleans? Is he really just a backup? That seems unlikely given how highly he was drafted. Let us hope he becomes Taysom Hill 2.0 that’s the scenario that will please us Eagles fans the most and will justify the pick. If he’s holding a clipboard on Sundays we won’t be very happy with Jalen Hurts. I have faith in GM Howie Roseman. I don’t think they plan on trading Jalen Hurts at the moment. I do think he was drafted to run trick plays and be used as an extra weapon on offense while providing great QB insurance in the event of a Carson Wentz injury. I think it will take some time, (QB Taysom Hill didn’t run trick plays in his first few games in the NFL) and that’s why this pick gets a low grade for now. The Grade I’ll be using for now; C- (hope I’m wrong)

The Philadelphia Eagles Third Round Pick: LB Davion Taylor Colorado 

Initially, I wanted The Philadelphia Eagles to draft LB Troy Dye out of Oregon but after I compared the tape I’m glad they chose Taylor. He’s a late second-round talent that they managed to pick up late in the third round. Kudo to GM Howie Roseman and company for absolutely nailing this pick. Davion Taylor was the most athletic, and most versatile LB after Patrick Queen in the entire draft class. He is also the fastest LB of any NFL Draft class in the last decade! He plays LB yet he ran a 4.39 40 yard dash! That is faster than most burner type WRs can run! That’s most certainly elite speed that will help him be disruptive for the Eagles on defense. He’s not just your typical LB as he can also rush opposing QBs and cover opposing WRs as well. This pick was a steal in my opinion. Taylor is a day one starter for the birds and rightfully so. The Eagles wanted to add speed on offense and they most certainly did, but they also wanted to add speed on defense and picking up LB/S/DE Davion Taylor obviously accomplishes that. He reminds me of former Eagles great LB Jordan Hicks. That is certainly saying a lot. I absolutely love this pick for the Philadelphia Eagles! Let’s just hope he stays healthy more often than Hicks did. My draft Grade: A

The Philadelphia Eagles 4th Round Pick (1 of 2): S/CB K’von Wallace Clemson

If I could give the birds some extra credit for this pick I would as getting K’von Wallace in the 4th round of the draft may be the biggest steal of the 2020 NFL Draft! A player many had on their boards as a second-round pick the superstar playmaker from Clemson magically fell to the Eagles on day 3! Some experts such as myself and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network had a late first-round early second-round grade on K’von Wallace yet the Eagles snatched him up in the fourth round?! What a steal! He was in the 2020 NFL Drafts hype video for goodness sake! I’m just going to say it. He is the best DB of the 2020

NFL Draft Class! I wanted my Philadelphia Eagles to draft him, but I thought he’d be gone before they picked again in the second round of the draft…It’s highway robbery that he was still available this late in the draft. All Eagles fans will love Wallace in a hurry as he can play the Malcolm Jenkins role far better than Jalen Mills can. It’s only a matter of time before he beats out Jalen Mills to start at SS for the team in midnight green. I’ll give it to the middle of the season. Much like former Eagles S/CB Malcolm Jenkins who the Eagles let go in free agency Wallace is not just a Safety as he can play all DB spots and even line up as a linebacker in certain packages and go after the QB! He will contribute immediately as a rookie as the teams’ third Safety before he beats out Mills. I have a bold prediction. I believe that in time K’von Wallace will be even better than Malcolm Jenkins and will become a Brian Dawkins like talent in his career with the Eagles. They both played for Clemson after all, and they’re both great players. Teams will regret passing on K’von Wallace for three rounds. It is good to be an Eagles fan!! Knock on wood this was the biggest steal of the 2020 NFL Draft! My draft grade: A+

The Philadelphia Eagles 4th Round Pick (2 of 2): OT/G/C Jack Driscoll Auburn

The Eagles added a starting-caliber player who will serve as a valuable backup as a rookie on day 3. He can play Tackle or Guard and even has the ability to someday be a starting Center. I believe he is Jason Kelce’s replacement when he retires. (hopefully in 10 years from now!) If pushed into action as a rookie I expect Driscoll to be more than solid in relief in year one. If Brandon Brooks suffers another injury it is possible that Jack Driscoll steals that spot for good with great play at G. Personally I hope Brooks stays healthy as he’s one of my favorite players, but the suggestion speaks to Driscoll’s amazing versatility.  Let’s hope Brooks stays healthy and Jack Driscoll is The Eagles starting C of the future as I prefer Issac at G and not C behind Jason Kelce. My Draft Grade: A

The Philadelphia Eagles 5th Round Pick: WR John Hightower Boise State 

Hightower ran the second-fastest time of any WR in the entire NFL draft yet was somehow still available in the 5th round? The Eagles wanted to add speed at WR…They have more than accomplished that goal. This pick has steal potential. WR John Hightower may become the team’s main kick returner if they don’t want to put their first-round pick WR Jalen Reagor in harm’s way at that spot as a rookie. Hightower is a little raw as a complete route runner, but he can take the top off any defense and is a smart kid who should be able to learn quickly. So why is a talented WR that some view as a steal in the 5th round getting a B? The answer’s simple. I would have preferred a CB at this pick…especially given the fact the Eagles drafted WR Quez Watkins who is arguably even more talented than Hightower one round later. That being said I do like the pick due to Hightowers 4.33 speed. Even if he begins his career as a one-trick pony that’s one heck of a trick in today’s NFL and Eagles star QB Carson Wentz likes to push the ball down the field whenever he sees as one on one matchup. My Draft Garde B

The Philadelphia Eagles 6th Round Pick (1 of 3): LB Shaun Bradley Temple

The Temple product was very productive in college for the Owls. Bradley is an athletic linebacker who has become a star for the Owls since his sophomore season. An injury kept him out of the first two games of his freshman year but he ended up making six tackles in 11 games as a reserve. Bradley led the team with 85 tackles (10 for loss, one sack, one interception) in 2017, starting 12 of 13 games played. He started all 13 games as a junior, recording 78 stops (four for loss) and two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown. Bradley was a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019, leading the Owls with 87 tackles, eight for loss, and three pass breakups. He will likely start his NFL career on special teams, but he has the playmaking ability to see some meaningful snaps as a rookie and compete for a starting spot in year two with the Eagles. My Draft Grade: A-

The Philadelphia Eagles 6th Round Pick (2 of 3): WR Quez Watkins Southern Mississippi State

How on earth was the ultra-productive speedy Quez Watkins still available at pick no. 200 overall?! He’s a day 3 pick that can actually compete for a starting spot on many teams in the NFL as a rookie and yet he somehow landed right into The Eagles laps this late in the draft. I suppose after arguably having the worst WR corps in 2019 The Eagles were owed an absolute gem of a WR on day 3. In 2017 Watkins had 72 catches for 989 yards. He was injured for part of 2018 but came back strong this season with over a thousand yards receiving. He scored 15 total TDs in three seasons with The Golden Eagles! Watkins is yet another WR that the Eagles now have who has elite speed and can take the top of a defense. That said Watkins is not just a pure burner as he has a complete game and is a very polished route runner. He can play inside or outside and I believe he will contribute for the Eagles greatly as a rookie and become a starter in his second NFL season with the team. WR Quez Watkins will become a fan favorite and a star with the Eagles. he has top 10 NFL WR written all over him. Another late pick for the birds and another steal for the birds! This team knows how to draft NFL Talent! My Draft Grade: A+

The Philadelphia Eagles 6th Round Pick (3 of 3): OT Prince Tega Wanogho Auburn

 The former Nigerian Prince played LT for Auburn while his college and now NFL teammate played RT for Auburn. This is yet another pick that has steal potential for the Eagles who arguably had the best day 3 in the 2020 NFL Draft than any other NFL team. Some experts gave Prince Tega a 3rd round grade, and rightfully so as when healthy he did an excellent job protecting his QBs blindside. Injuries may be the reason that Tega slid three rounds later than he should have, but he seems very healthy now. I think Tega becomes the team’s main swing OT as a rookie and has the ability to start at either OT spot in the future. If LT Andre Dillard doesn’t live up to his draft pedigree Tega certainly has the talent to take over at that spot. I think that Andre Dillard will play very well at LT for the birds and Prince Tega will be the team’s future starter at RT when Lane Johnson retires in a few more years. Prince Tega stands at 6 ft 5 and weighs 308 pounds. He’s a big strong OT. My Draft Grade: A

The Philadelphia Eagles 7th round pick: DE Casey Toohill Stanford 

Did anyone really think that Eagles GM Howie Roseman was not going to draft at least one talented player from Stanford? In all seriousness, I absolutely love this pick for the Eagles. Toohill has a similar game of that of former Eagles great DE Chris Long. His athleticism and speed and playmaking ability are off the charts. He can be a valuable rotational edge rusher as a rookie and become a fan favorite starter in a year or two. If the team suffers an injury at LB he can play in that spot as well in a pinch. He offers more than just versatility that being said. Casey Toohill is a very hard worker as evidence by the fact that he improved every single year that he played at Auburn. The Eagles drafted a few players on day 3 this year that are potential steals. After S K’von Wallace I’m most convinced that Casey Toohill will prove to be an absolute steal. He needs to add a little weight but he can get after the QB right away in his first year as a pro. This is one of those rare cases where a talented Edge Rusher taken in the drafts final round may be better than several Edge Rushers taken in the first and second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. I believe That Casey Toohill will not only make the team but will contribute as a rookie. Toohill had 8 QB sacks in his final year at Stanford. As previously mentioned he reminds me of Chris Long, only faster and more athletic. That is certainly saying something about my confidence in Casey Toohill’s playmaking ability. Another great thing about this kid: He’s the ultimate team player. He could be an Eagles captain at some point in his career! My Draft Grade A+ 

Overall Draft Grade: A Minus -It could quickly turn into an A+ If Jalen Hurts does indeed become a supercharged version of Taysom Hill which is possible but for now my grade remains an A Minus. Hey, That is still an A! The Eagles had a great draft in my opinion and deserve the A grade I’ve given them. 

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