Wow, the Philadelphia Eagles choose quarterback Jalen Hurts with their 53rd overall pick. After dealing Carson Wentz with injuries, the team looks to secure a backup who can create offense at the drop of a hat. Hurts will likely remain a backup for the foreseeable future but is a great insurance policy for the Eagles.
Hurts proved that he can be more than a runner by throwing for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his lone season with Oklahoma after losing out to Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama.
Scouting Report
Hurts has the kind of athleticism and toughness a lot of players at his position don’t have. He buys himself extra time with his legs when under pressure and can take off when everything breaks down. He also has improved as a passer throughout his career and should continue to do so in the NFL. How much he improves will likely determine if he will stick as a starter.
Fantasy football impact
Rookie
Hurts lands in a tough spot for his immediate fantasy value, but he needs time to learn and develop still and Philadelphia will be a great spot for him to do that. Though, his rushing ability would give him instant fantasy appeal if Wentz were to miss time again.
Long-term
Hurts has great fantasy upside if he is able to continue to improve as a passer and has the offense molded to his strengths as a runner. As it is, he should be a more than capable backup who gets stints as a starter when called upon, but there is upside for more and with his rushing ability, his fantasy upside is high if he can land a starting job.