Six years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round of the NFL draft despite already having Carson Wentz under contract as the franchise quarterback.
Now, general manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles might do the same thing to Hurts.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, people around the NFL believe the Eagles could select a quarterback in the second or third round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Why would they do that? “To apply a little bit of pressure” on Hurts, who is at a “crossroads” with the organization, Fowler said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday morning.
“Jalen Hurts was drafted in the second round, eventually replaced Carson Wentz,” Fowler said. “Does that same thing now happen to Jalen Hurts?”
That would be a shocking — and in my opinion, foolish — decision.
Now, it wouldn’t be crazy to draft a quarterback later in the draft. In fact, that will almost certainly happen.
The Eagles might trade backup Tanner McKee to a QB-needy team for a Day 2 pick. Kyle McCord, the 2025 sixth-rounder, didn’t work out and is no longer with the team. So there’s a need for a young quarterback.
But it would make far more sense to target a project in the fifth round — perhaps Arkansas’ Taylen Green or North Dakota State’s Cole Payton — as opposed to burning a second or third-rounder on a signal-caller.
All things considered, this is a pretty bad QB class. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. But beyond him, it’s a crapshoot — more of a crapshoot than the draft inherently is.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson might go in the mid-to-late first round after getting benched in the CFP quarterfinals. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Penn State’s Drew Allar were disappointing in 2025. Miami’s Carson Beck will turn 24 years old during his rookie year. There won’t be a prospect like Hurts, who was selected with the No. 53 pick in 2020.
Of course, that pick was ridiculed by plenty of fans and talk show hosts, and it worked out just fine. Wentz lost his job and the locker room, and Hurts won a Super Bowl.
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FILE - Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)AP
But that’s exactly why the Eagles don’t need to take a quarterback as high as No. 54 overall. They have a QB who has been to two Super Bowls, was unbelievable in both and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy while winning MVP.
Sure, there’s the business side of this to consider. Hurts’ lucrative contract expires in 2028, and he might want an extension soon. Eventually, the Eagles need to decide if the 28-year-old is worth another long-term deal, or if they want to ride that out and move on.
There’s also a bit of recency bias attached to this thought exercise. Everyone watched Hurts (and the entire offense) struggle for most of the season.
But the Eagles have too many needs to be spending their second-round pick or either of their third-rounders (No. 68, No. 98) on someone to “apply pressure” on Hurts.
Future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson has maybe a year or two left if he doesn’t retire. Landon Dickerson, the injury-plagued, 27-year-old guard, might retire early. Cam Jurgens was as disappointing as Dickerson was while playing through a back injury in 2025.
And that’s just the offensive line. Tight end Dallas Goedert, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and safety Reed Blankenship are all pending free agents with no clear successor behind them. The Eagles need a reliable outside corner opposite Quinyon Mitchell. And they’re going to need help at wide receiver, even if they don’t trade frustrated superstar A.J. Brown.
If the Eagles do move Brown and McKee, that would net more draft capital. And we’re not sure how free agency shakes out; maybe Goedert, Phillips and Blankenship return.
But the Eagles could realistically enter April’s draft needing at least two offensive linemen, at least one wideout, a tight end, an edge rusher and a defensive back or two.
Looking at both the draft class and the Eagles’ roster, this isn’t the year for Roseman and the Eagles to spend a top-tier pick on a quarterback.
Maybe in 2027.