Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor isn’t due for a breakout year, per PFF

The Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick during the 2020 NFL Draft, Jalen Reagor didn’t have the immediate impact during his rookie season that the team was hoping for. Drafted to be Carson Wentz’ #1 wide receiver for the next handful of years, Reagor struggled to stay on the field due to injuries, and was largely ineffective when healthy. Severely overshadowed by the likes of Justin Jefferson, who was taken one pick after Reagor, the former TCU wideout’s rookie campaign was largely deemed a “failure” by people around the NFL media.

However, following a full offseason of rehab and practice, combined with a new quarterback and a new coaching staff, there’s been a sense of optimism surrounding Reagor’s second season in the pros. Throw in a recently drafted DeVonta Smith, who should attract opposing team’s top cornerbacks, and the groundwork has been laid for Reagor to have a “breakout” sophomore year.

While Reagor could very well have a productive 2021, at least one popular NFL reporting site doesn’t have him pinned as someone to expect a big year from. In a recent Pro Football Focus article titled “CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Judy and more second-year breakout candidates“, PFF named a handful of second-year players primed for a big year, and Reagor was nowhere to be found.

Here’s how PFF’s list shaped up:

• QB Joe Burrow and WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
• WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
• WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
• RB Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams
• RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
• DL Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers
• LB Isaiah Simmons, Arizona Cardinals
• CB Cameron Dantzler, Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles WR Jalen Reagor was left off PFF’s recent “second-year breakout candidates” list.

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For what it’s worth, I don’t blame PFF for ignoring the likes of Reagor when it comes to a list like this. Many felt the Philadelphia Eagles over-drafted Reagor when they made him a first-round selection in 2020, and that he’s always been better suited for a WR2/WR3 type role in the NFL. Reagor’s route tree looked extremely limited during his rookie season, and his vertical speed (his main calling card in college) wasn’t nearly as impressive as initially advertised. In fact, outside of his Week 1 catch against Washington, Reagor was largely useless when it came to vertical passing concepts.

Reagor’s inability to stay healthy also has to be taken into account. While Reagor was almost always healthy when playing at TCU, he quickly picked up multiple injuries during his first year in the NFL. It could have been nothing more than some bad luck, but it’s not unheard of for players to struggle to adapt to the physicality of the NFL.

It also looked like Reagor was struggling to block out some of the outside noise and criticism during his rookie season. He was constantly deleting and un-deleting social media accounts, and never responded well to being asked about someone like Justin Jefferson and the success that he was having during his own respective rookie campaign.

Ultimately speaking, Reagor’s ability to “breakout” is going to come down to if he’s taken the necessary steps to improve his game this offseason. He’s largely being put in a position to succeed this year – it’s up to him to capitalize on the opportunity.