NFL Draft: Eagles go WR over QB with the 6th pick in Mel Kiper’s latest mock
Mel Kiper has a new mock draft up and for the first time ever, the NFL draft guru is now including trade scenarios.
The Eagles have a ton of needs heading into this year’s draft, and it comes as experts around the league believe Howie Roseman has his eyes on a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick.
In Kiper’s latest mock draft for ESPN.com, the draft insider has the Eagles acquiring a weapon for Jalen Hurts by drafting Ja’Marr Chase.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
After trading away Carson Wentz, 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts tops the Eagles’ quarterback depth chart. And my feeling is that he has earned a chance to start in Week 1 next season and try to be Philly’s long-term answer, even though he completed just 52% of his passes last season. The Eagles have major salary-cap issues, and this is not going to be a one-year rebuild for new coach Nick Sirianni. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re picking in the top 10 next year as well. Drafting Chase here will allow a better evaluation of Hurts in 2021; he’s a true No. 1 wideout with a high ceiling. After opting out of the 2020 season, Chase will get a chance to work out for teams at LSU’s pro day on March 31, and there’s a chance he could wow scouts and coaches there and end up as the No. 1 receiver in this class.
Kiper also stated that the Eagles selecting Chase would be the first step in what he feels will be a long rebuilding process.
Chase played two seasons in Baton Rouge before opting out of the 2020 season and during the 2019 National Championship season, the explosive wideout caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.
List
Taking an early look at the top 15 QB prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft class
