While talent evaluation in the NFL can be a pretty inexact science, sometimes there are whiffs so bad all you can do is admit the mistake and move on.
In the case of the Philadelphia Eagles, that hasn’t happened very often in recent years. When it did happen, though, it was a doozy.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder called out the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles for the NFL’s “Worst First Round Pick” in the last 5 years with wide receiver Jalen Reagor, the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Unfortunately for Reagor and the Eagles, that was just one spot ahead of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson — a 4-time NFL All-Pro through his first 5 NFL seasons and a likely future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“In full disclosure, Reagor is the inspiration for this article,” Holder wrote on June 26. “Now, the Eagles have been fine, as they’ve made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, including winning the Super Bowl last February. Also, general manager Howie Roseman made up for his blunder by drafting DeVonta Smith in 2021 and trading for A.J. Brown in 2022. But taking the TCU wide receiver in the first round will go down as one of the biggest draft whiffs in NFL history, considering the player who was drafted right after him.”
Breaking Down Reagor’s Time in Philly
It didn’t take long for the Eagles to realize they had a massive bust with Reagor. It was made all the more stark by Jefferson’s instant success.
As a rookie in 2020, Reagor had 31 receptions for 396 yards and 1 touchdown in 11 games, missing 5 games with a torn thumb ligament. That same season, Jefferson had 88 receptions for 1,400 yards and 7 touchdowns while earning NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the first time.
After 2 seasons in Philadelphia, Reagor was traded to the Vikings, where he had just 8 receptions for 104 yards and 1 touchdown in 2022 before he was released before the 2023 season. Reagor played for the New England Patriots in 2023 and spent 2024 with the Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers.
