Philadelphia Eagles: Top five position battles to watch in training camp
By David Esser
Rookie Jalen Hurts will need to earn the Philadelphia Eagles QB2 job.
This may come as a surprise to some, but there’s still a relatively intense battle that needs to occur at the backup quarterback position. Despite the Eagles using their second round pick on Jalen Hurts, he’s likely entering camp as the third (maybe even fourth) quarterback on the depth chart. He has a lot of work to do before being entrusted with the QB2 job.
After playing his first three collegiate seasons at Alabama, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma. Future top five pick Tua Tagovailoa had emerged as the unquestioned starter at ‘Bama, and Hurts was obviously looking for a starting job in his senior year.
Hurts finished the year as a Heisman candidate, recording 3,851 passing yards, 1,298 rushing yards, and 53 total touchdowns. Despite the Eagles already having a franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz, the team clearly liked Hurts enough to use the 53rd overall pick on him.
Despite possessing an impressive collegiate resume, there are still some glaring questions regarding Hurts’ ability as a pure passer. He relied heavily on his legs in college, and was in an offensive system that encouraged the QB to run.
Outside of Wentz, the Eagles have two other quarterbacks on their roster, Nate Sudfield and Kyle Lauletta. Despite not being the most flashy of names, both are currently more accurate passers than the rookie Hurts.
Hurts was obviously drafted to be the long term backup to Wentz, and the coaching staff will surely do their best to get him up to speed as soon as possible. However, when it comes to 2020, the rookie will likely have to earn his spot.