It appears as though Jalen Hurts doesn’t have the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback responsibilities all to himself, after all.
On Sunday, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler appeared on SportsCenter to discuss the latest in the Eagles’ plans two and a half weeks before the 2021 draft.
“One GM told me that he expects the Eagles to at least field some calls, maybe move up or down. That’s just the way that GM Howie Roseman rolls; he likes to move when he can.
Now, they need cornerback help as well. You look at the quarterbacks. If Trey Lance slides, if Justin Fields slides and the Eagles have a high grade on them, they could make that move. They’ve already moved back once, maybe they move up if they want to get the right guy.
“People I’ve talked to think the Eagles could go quarterback somewhere in this draft just to either get insurance for Jalen Hurts or competition for Jalen Hurts. However, the Eagles typically like to go big bodies in the first round with offensive lineman, maybe they play it safe there.”
The Eagles currently hold the No. 12 pick in the first round of the draft after trading down from the sixth spot.
It appeared as though it was their way of announcing their abandonment of bringing on another young quarterback, considering the likes of BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields will be long gone by the time the Eagles are on the clock.
In the meantime, Philadelphia brought in Joe Flacco as a veteran backup option to help nurture Hurts’ professional development after he was thrust into the No. 1 spot on the depth chart following the trade of Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.
There is a chance that a quarterback like North Dakota State’s Trey Lance or Alabama’s Mac Jones could be available at the No. 12 spot, but as Fowler noted, the Eagles could address their need at the cornerback spot.
This isn’t necessarily the deepest drafts when it comes to top-tier cornerbacks, but many of the teams in front of the Eagles don’t have corners at the top of their draft boards — meaning one of the best could fall right into their laps in Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.
“I would think if Patrick Surtain II is there, you just turn in the card,” NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah told Takeoff With John Clark. “To me, he’s a high-floor, high-ceiling guy and you put him opposite of Darius Slay and off you go. He’s just clean. Last year, we’ll see how it works out with [wide receiver Jalen] Reagor. I think it was a little bit of a risk and so far the returns haven’t been huge. To me, I think maybe putting this one right in the middle of the fairway with somebody like Patrick Surtain II would be a good move.”
