The Philadelphia Eagles selected wide receiver Jalen Reagor in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Eagles made the pick hoping Reagor could be the team’s top pass-catcher moving forward. That selection has yet to pan out for Philadelphia, and it might not ever work out.
“He’s battling for a spot.” Nick Sirianni on where Jalen Reagor fits on the team.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) July 30, 2022
The former 21st overall pick is on the roster bubble, according to Nick Sirianni, head coach of the Eagles.
“He’s battling for a spot,” Sirianni said on Saturday. “He is working with the (second team) right now.”
These words from coach Sirianni are telling of where Reagor is in terms of a potential roster spot. If he is on the roster come Week 1, Reagor is unlikely to get a ton of playing time since he is working with the second team offense in training camp.
The Eagles drafted Devonta Smith in 2021 and traded for A.J. Brown this offseason. Both players should assume a high target and snap share this year.
Jalen Reagor impressed Nick Sirianni
However, Sirianni is impressed by the work the former first-round pick put in over the offseason.
“He’s gotten a lot of balls over the last two days,” Sirianni said. “He’s done a nice job; he’s battling for a spot; he’s battling for a return spot; he’s worked hard in the offseason to come back in great shape. That’s something that we all noticed in the conditioning tests.”
If things get hairy concerning a potential roster spot, Reagor taking return repetitions could be his saving grace. Teams tend to value a versatile player, and working on special teams adds to a player’s versatility.
Reagor is competing for a roster spot against Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal and Greg Ward, to name a few participants.
The remainder of training camp and preseason will determine where on the roster these players land. Or, perhaps, don’t make the final roster.
Meanwhile, Reagor is not the only recent high draft pick taking second-team repetitions for the Eagles. Running back Miles Sanders is taking backup snaps in favor of Kenneth Gainwell working with the starters early in camp.
This, however, is the unpredictable nature of training camp. Although, things should become clearer once the preseason comes into play in August.