Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman has outdone himself, and Eagles fans everywhere are in support of the draft day antics.
The general manager not only traded up in the draft with the Texans to grab Georgia monster defensive tackle Jordan Davis with the 13th pick of the draft, but also pulled off a blockbuster trade that saw the Eagles send their 18th overall pick and one of their third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who immediately agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension with Philly.
This move is exactly what the Philadelphia Eagles needed after four of the premier wide receivers (Drake London, Garret Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jameson Williams) were off the board before Philly ultimately traded up to pick at 13. Roseman flipped an 18th overall pick for the former Ole Miss pass-catcher. The 18th pick lost a lot of value to the Eagles after Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton was taken by Baltimore immediately after Philly’s pick, so flipping that pick for Brown was a smart move.
The Eagles, a team desperately in need of another wideout, added a top-10 receiver to their roster to fit alongside Devonta Smith. Smith, a former Heisman Trophy winner, had 916 receiving yards last season, good enough for fourth among all rookie wide receivers.
Smith was the first receiver drafted by Howie in a long time that was actually productive and has shown potential to become an All-Pro. Looking at receivers that Roseman has drafted in the past like Nelson Agholor, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, and Jalen Reagor, one can clearly see that the Eagles have made mistakes in the draft, but Smith is not one of them. You have to figure the best player in college football will at the very least be extremely productive.
Help On The Way For Jalen Hurts
Adding a talent like Brown will massively increase Philly’s offensive output. Coming from a team who ranked 28th in pass yards, dead last in passing attempts, and 27th in passing TDs, Brown is looking forward to more production. The addition of Brown, who has 2,995 receiving yards and 24 TD receptions in three seasons with Tennessee, should also help bolster the play of third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, who’s coming into his make-or-break year with the Eagles.
After posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Brown’s production dropped a bit in 2021 as he battled injuries that kept him off the field for a few games. The contract extension Brown agreed to keeps him in Philly for another four years after this last year of his rookie contract ends. So Philly is home.
Securing a young stud like Brown means Philly has quietly compiled a strong young core that can compete in the NFC East for years to come. How far they advance in a weak division is up to franchise QB Hurts.
Jalen Hurts facetimes AJ Brown 🔥 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/MfaVchBJko
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2022
Philly fans were ecstatic on the first night of the 2022 NFL draft. Roseman has made a bold statement with the trade during the first round, letting all teams know that Philly will be a force next year. Bringing A.J. Brown in was the perfect way to do so.
