It’s no secret the Eagles have struggled to find impact WRs in the NFL Draft over the past decade. Of the 11 WRs drafted since 2012, none have gotten a second contract in Philadelphia. Woes like this lead to Philly rolling the dice, trading 2022 18th / 101st overall picks to land star Wideout AJ Brown.
After a promising rookie campaign from 2021 10th overall DeVonta Smith, the receiving core still lacked depth. A-lot of that having to do with production issues from 2020 1st rounder, Jalen Reagor.
Although showing flashes with the ball in his hands throughout his first 2 seasons, Philly fans have embedded the lowlights of Reagor’s career in their brains.
Jalen’s infamous two crucial late drops in Week 12 vs Giants & muffed punt in Tampa during the playoffs have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
Reagor will not only be battling for a role in the 2022 Offense, but maybe even a roster spot.
With the pressure of being a top receiving option off him, can Jalen Reagor thrive in a lesser role?
Reagor’s Role in 2022
One way Jalen Reagor can make an impact this upcoming season is special teams. In his rookie season, Jalen returned a punt 73 yards in Green Bay to the house.
In 2021, Reagor fielded 31/33 punts for Philadelphia, only averaging 7.3 yards a return, but added a few 20+ yard returns in the mix. His decision-making ultimately has to get better, as he won’t be short of competition back there. Back in April, Philly signed Olympic Hurdler & former Oregon WR, Devon Allen, whose bet shot at making the 53-man lies in the returning department.
Cracking the WR rotation for Reagor would be seen as win in itself. Philly ran 3 total plays in 2021 that featured 4 WRs on the field. With Brown, Smith & Quez Watkins clearly above him in the pecking order, it will take a marvelous training camp from #18 to reemerge as a weapon in the Offense.
Former All-Pro Receiver Co-signs Reagor
Breakout season coming? One former 2x All-Pro Receiver believes so.
Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson. known for being outspoken & NFL fan favorite from his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, turned to social media to ensue brighten days were in Reagor’s future in a series of tweets.
Even after receiving backlash, Ocho Cinco remained firm on his belief about Reagor. Stating similarities to another disappointing 1st round Eagles receiver, who turned things around in year 3.
Granted, these tweets were composed during the Playoffs, long before the offseason began & moves like the Brown trade even took shape. Narrowing the true window of opportunity with hindsight.
Can Jalen have a bounce back year in Philadelphia reminiscent of Nelson Agholor’s & silence the doubters? Or is his time in Philadelphia inevitably running out?
For More Great Football Content
Follow me on Twitter at @ZachDealSports and follow us @GridironHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, click here!