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The Philadelphia Eagles are all set at quarterback with Carson Wentz wrapped up as the franchise starter, but the Eagles threw the NFL a curveball when they took Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in the second round.
Carson Wentz hasn’t been the model of health and the Eagles know first hand the value of a quality backup, but the second-round is a lot of draft capital to give up for a player they hope won’t start for a very long time.
Hurts ran for 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns on 233 carries last season at Oklahoma while also improving as a passer. He should be able to keep the offense moving with his legs if Wentz goes down and that is a plus no matter where he was drafted. But, will the Eagles need him if Wentz continues to play 16 games a season like he did last year? It seems the answer is, maybe.
When asked if Hurts could play a similar role to the one Taysom Hill plays in New Orleans, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said, “He has a unique skill set. ... It’s something we’re going to explore,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
In the end, Hurts is insurance plus a new offensive toy for Pederson to play with. Is that enough to skip over adding a full-time playmaker, either on offense or defense? I don’t know, but Hurts is the backup now and we’ll see if they can sprinkle in touches to him without causing Wentz and the offense trouble.