Philadelphia Eagles: Keep an eye on RB/WR Adrian Killins
By David Esser
RB/WR hybrid Adrian Killins could play a sneaky role for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles offense has been completely stripped bare. Veterans DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery are both out due to injury, offseason acquisition Marquise Goodwin opted out before the season began, first-round draft pick Jalen Reagor is on IR with a thumb injury, Dallas Goedert has a broken ankle, and late-round additions John Hightower and Quez Watkins are both injured as well.
Even with some of the above mentioned names playing, the Eagles offense looked painfully hopeless through the first three weeks of the season. The wide receivers were struggling to get separation, RB Miles Sanders was on a snap count of sorts, and Carson Wentz clearly wasn’t in sync with anyone (outside of maybe Greg Ward).
With an 0-3-1 start looming, the Philadelphia Eagles desperately need a spark offensively, and UDFA rookie Adrian Killins might just be the guy to provide it.
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A four year running back at the University of Central Florida, Killins was known for his blistering fast speed. He logged 3,323 scrimmage yards and 33 TDs over 51 games at UCF, and was specifically dynamic in the kick return game, averaging just over 21 yards per return.
Killins is listed at 5-8, but he’s an absolute weapon on the field due to his elite quickness. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, making him currently one of the fastest rookies in all of professional football. Despite his undrafted status, he was a common appearer on Eagles training camp articles, with a healthy amount of individuals thinking he had a shot to sneak onto the 53-man.
*The Eagles ultimately went with Jason Huntley as their RB4 instead.*
The super intriguing part about Killins’ training camp this summer was the fact that the Eagles worked him out at WR quite a bit. He routinely spent time participating in the pass-catching and route running drills, working in the slot quite frequently. He was a decent receiving back in college, but nothing that would’ve screamed “convert me to WR”. Clearly the Eagles coaching staff saw something that the rest of us missed.
With Killins set to be active for at least the game against the 49ers, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Doug Pederson tries to incorporate him into the game plan. His dynamic speed makes him a weapon regardless of what position he lines up at, and the Philadelphia Eagles are in desperate need of someone with “big play potential”.
The Eagles have specifically struggled in getting their screen game going as of late, and someone like KIllins could definitely provide a boost in that regard. Lining up at either WR or RB, getting the ball in his hands with open grass in front of him could result in an easy 10-15 yards (given he actually gets some decent blocking, which has been a problem for the Eagles WRs).
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Whether it be in the kick return game, the running game, or even the receiving game, Killins has that wild card factor to him which could potentially flip the switch for a slow and lethargic Philadelphia offense. Even if its just for 2-3 plays, getting him on the field could prove to be a worthwhile investment.