Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor must outperform CeeDee Lamb

Jalen Reagor, the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles, will have his career with the Birds measured by how he stacks up against CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys.

The pick of Jalen Reagor seems unexpected and unpopular among Philadelphia Eagles fans thus far, aside from this very site. But love it or loathe it, and maybe you even have some Justin Jefferson regret, the Eagles have taken the plunge on a guy who they think can be a dynamic weapon for Carson Wentz.

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Unfortunately, most of the disappointment in Eagles Nation seems to stem from the fact that supposedly better receivers already went off the board, with the most notable among these being CeeDee Lamb, who went to the Dallas Cowboys at #17. And now, the stage is set for years to come. Reagor vs. Lamb. Who will have the better career?

No, they’ll never even be on the field at the same time. But with the Eagles and Cowboys jockeying for NFC East supremacy, each player has an opportunity to make an immediate and long-lasting mark. They’re not being thrown into rebuilds or sitting behind established players while they wait their chance. Reagor and Lamb will be front and center from Day 1.

For Reagor, fair or not, Lamb should be the measuring stick for his career. Some time down the road, we’ll be able to make a final call about whether or not the Eagles should have made a move to snatch Lamb from the Cowboys or if standing pat and taking Reagor proved correct. Some will jump to conclusions way too soon, of course, but this is truly a long-game scenario.

Even if the Eagles believe Lamb to be the better player, they can’t say that now. They’ve “got their guy” supposedly. They’d probably also resist any and all comparisons between the players, because each situation is different. It’s not totally fair to compare Reagor’s results (and his career) with Lamb’s. They’re right. But it still gives us the best possible way to measure how good Reagor’s tenure in Midnight Green ends up being.

Yes, it’s a very simplistic and fan-oriented way of looking at things. But can an Eagles fan be blamed for asking that one of their players outperform his counterpart on the Cowboys? It certainly seems reasonable, as we’ve subjected Wentz to the same thing. Lamb looks like he has an advantage right now because he’s part of a deep receiving group, while the Eagles’ corps is a work in progress. But adjustments will be made, and both players should put up enough of a body of work that we can compare apples to apples, as least as much as we can.

Reagor could be successful regardless of any Lamb comparisons, with stats like 1000-yard seasons and milestone numbers of catches and touchdowns serving as markers along the way. But the belief around town should be that he can be better than Lamb, both in raw stats and in helping to guide the team to more success where it counts.

It’s a lot to ask from any young player, to eventually become the team’s top passing option and playing a big part in division titles and playoffs wins. But such is the life of a first round pick like Reagor. It’s also what Lamb will be facing, which is why it’s vital for Reagor to become the better player. If Jalen Reagor outshines CeeDee Lamb (and for that matter, some of the other top receivers taken in the first round), then it most likely translates to wins and NFC East dominance for the Eagles.

Next. Reagor will forever be linked to Jefferson. dark

Time will tell if Reagor becomes “Best in Class 2020” among the receivers drafted, the biggest bust, or something in between. But for the Eagles and their fans, the base expectation should be what it always has been: beat Dallas. For Reagor, that means showing everyone that he was ultimately a better choice than Lamb, and that the Eagles made the right call in not spending resources to trade up.

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