The Eagles' decision to pick TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night surprised plenty of folks in the football world.
Fans, of the Eagles and of football in general, expected Birds general manager Howie Roseman to make the safe choice and pick prolific LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who most viewed as the best wide receiver still on the board when the Eagles picked.
Instead, they snagged the speedy Reagor. Fans were furious, and it sounds like some of the league's top decision makers were stunned by Roseman's pick.
During Bleacher Report's live draft show Thursday night, NFL insider Matt Miller received a text message from an NFL general manager after the Eagles picked Reagor, and it wasn't kind to the front office:
I got a text from a general manager, who said this is the worst pick of the draft. Like, worse than Damon Arnette, which we trashed pretty hard.
You can watch the show's reaction to the Reagor selection starting at the 2:48:58 mark below, and Miller reads the text from the GM at the 2:54:03 mark:
NFL
Miller and his co-hosts, Adam Lefkoe - an Eagles fan - and Connor Rogers, were baffled by the Eagles picking Reagor over Jefferson. Rogers gave the move a C+ grade, and Miller gave the move a C- minus grade.
NBC Sports Philadelphia's Andrew Kulp also gave the Reagor pick a C-:
The pick simply comes off as the Eagles missing out on an opportunity to trade up and land a superior prospect, or passing on more of a known quantity. It's even fair to ask how much better Reagor is than the receivers who might've been around in Round 2.
Roseman, of course, explained his decision on Thursday night, shortly after making the pick:
Jalen fits something we were really looking for. An exposive guy, ability to contribute as a runner and as a returner, the ability to be explosive with the ball in his hands. These were all things we were looking for and things coach really wanted to stress.
It's possible Reagor turns into a reliable weapon for Carson Wentz, but early returns aren't overwhelmingly positive.
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