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Eagles Called Out For NFL’s ‘Worst First Round Pick’ in Last 5 Years

   

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.

 

In 5 NFL seasons, Reagor has 86 receptions for 1,037 yards and 4 touchdowns in 64 games. In Jefferson’s worst year, in 2023, he had 68 receptions for 1,074 yards and 5 touchdowns in 10 games.

Everything Turned Out Fine for Eagles

Let’s not shed too many tears for the Eagles. Their wide receiver room found a way to move on after Reagor’s exit.

Headed into 2025, the Eagles have arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver duo in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. They’re also 2 of the most highly paid players in the NFL.

Brown has been named NFL All-Pro each of the last 3 seasons — all since he was traded to the Eagles from the Tennessee Titans — and signed a 3-year, $96 million contract extension before the 2024 season.

Smith, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, signed a 3-year, $75 million contract extension in April 2024. He also became just the fifth player in football history to win the Super Bowl, a college football national title and a Heisman Trophy after the Eagles won it all following the 2024 season.

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