Philadelphia Eagles can dominate the 2022 draft if Jalen Hurts succeeds

A lot of talk has been made of the Philadelphia Eagles three potential first-round picks in 2022, and how that puts them in prime position to move up for a new franchise quarterback, or acquire one should a Pro Bowl caliber arm become available via trade. While both are very real possibilities for the Eagles and their quarterback obsessed front office, what happens if Jalen Hurts ends up succeeding as the team’s starting QB in 2021?

While I wouldn’t go as far as to claim Hurts will play like an “elite” QB this upcoming season, I do think there’s a rather realistic pathway to him having an above average second-year campaign.

Nick Sirianni has the makings of a rather creative offensive play-caller, and the Eagles have done a  solid job of acquiring weapons for Hurts this offseason.

DeVonta Smith was the obvious big-time addition, but the likes of Landon Dickerson, Kenneth Gainwell, and even Kerryon Johnson should only make Hurts’ life easier in 2021.

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Throw in a returning Andre Dillard, a returning Lane Johnson, a returning Brandon Brooks, and the (hopeful) development of Jalen Reagor on the outside opposite of Smith, and the Eagles shouldn’t have a completely anemic offense (like they did last season).

So hypothetically speaking, if Hurts were able to give the Eagles 25+ touchdowns and 4,000+ yards, while simultaneously keeping his turnovers on the lower side, the team could be in a position where they don’t necessarily need to add a new quarterback in the following offseason.

Instead, Howie Roseman and the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles front office would be able to spend three first-round picks on improving the roster around Hurts, as opposed to just replacing him.

Acquiring a new stud pass rusher and a new stud offensive tackle would likely be made top priorities by Roseman, and then that final first-rounder could be spent on bringing in another weapon for Hurts to throw to, or a new number one cornerback (a need the team failed to address during this year’s draft).

Philadelphia Eagles would be in a great spot in 2022 if Jalen Hurts produces.

Even if the pick acquired in the Carson Wentz trade doesn’t end up conveying into the first round, you’re still looking at a situation where the Philadelphia Eagles would have at minimum four picks in the first two rounds of the 2022 draft.

Being able to spend all of those picks on non-quarterbacks would be quite the luxury for Philadelphia.

There’s no telling if Hurts will perform like a franchise-caliber QB in 2021, in fact I’d temper expectations accordingly. Hurts was a second-round pick for a reason, and he struggled pretty heavily during his final two starts of his rookie season.

With that said, you simply never know. Hurts has been putting in a ton of work this offseason building chemistry with his teammates, and he definitely has the intangibles of someone who a franchise would like to build around. Simply put, only time will tell.