Philadelphia Eagles: 3 wide receiver prospects worth targeting on Day 2
By David Esser
Nico Collins, Michigan
One of the tallest wide receiver prospects in the entire class (6-4, 215lbs), Nico Collins is what I like to call “take two” at JJ Arcega-Whiteside.
When the Philadelphia Eagles first selected JJAW, the logic was pretty straightforward. The team needed someone to groom up at the “X” receiver position behind Alshon Jeffery, and the bigger the player the better. Considering how much the Eagles tended to prioritize red zone and third down efficiency under Doug Pederson, bringing in another big-bodied pass-catcher behind Alshon made a plethora of sense.
Obviously the JJAW pick ended up being a disaster, but the logic behind the pick still holds true. Seeing as Philly likely won’t be getting their hands on someone like Ja’Marr Chase or Rashod Bateman, drafting someone like Nico Collins to play that type of role makes plenty of sense on paper.
Collins didn’t play in 2020 due to a COVID-19 opt-out, but his 2019 numbers paint the picture of someone who can excel in an NFL offense as an “X” receiver. He recorded a yards per catch rate of 17.9 and logged 7 touchdowns, all while experiencing some pretty miserable QB play.
If he’s that same time of player for the Eagles in 2021, he’d quite easily beat out someone like Travis Fulgham for the starting “X” receiver job.
Listed as the 61st best prospect at the moment, the Eagles would either have to “overdraft” him at 37, trade back up into the second-round for him, or simply wait til 69 and hope he’s still on the board.
Next. Philadelphia Eagles 7-round mock draft: Pick 12 is Jaycee Horn territory. dark
The Philadelphia Eagles could very well still take a WR with the 12th overall pick, or even trade down a few spots and target someone like Kadarius Toney or Terrace Marshall Jr. However, my best bet is on Roseman sticking to his guns and drafting some sort of “trench” player at 12, and then targeting a new starting WR on Day 2.