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Rookie in every sport having to enter their profession being compared to their peers has been a rite of passage for decades and it won’t be changing for Eagles star wideout Jalen Reagor.
Reagor was the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the minute the Vikings selected Justin Jefferson right behind him at No. 22, the comparisons started. Many around the league felt the former LSU star was simply a good slot receiver, but his breakout as a rookie has now put pressure on Reagor as they’re now compared on a daily basis.
Reagor, who has battled injuries early on during his rookie season, told reporters that he’s singularly focused on his own “journey” and refuses to buy-into any comparisons with Jefferson.
Jalen Reagor on Justin Jefferson's success: "I can't watch another man's journey … He hasn't had injuries, I have." #Eagles
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) November 17, 2020
Reagor has been a professional and said all the correct things during interviews, but it has to be hard when critics and analysts are labeling you a bust after nine games simply based on the play of the guy drafted one pick behind you.
On Monday night, Jefferson joined Randy Moss as the only rookies in Vikings history with a 100-yard receiving game on Monday Night Football.
Jefferson’s 4 100-yard receiving games this season are tied with Moss for the most by a rookie in Vikings history.
Against the Bears, Jefferson had eight catches on 10 targets for 135 yards in a win on Monday Night Football. It was the fourth time Jefferson’s been over 100 yards in 10 games this season and he now has 42 receptions for 742 yards and three touchdowns.
In the two games since his return from a thumb injury, Reagor has seven catches for 63 yards, six rushing yards, and a touchdown.
In the four games he’s played in this season, Reagor has 12 receptions for 159 yards and one TD.
Of the 13 wide receivers drafted in the 1st and 2nd round of the 2020 draft, Reagor ranks in the top-10 in catches per game, yards per game, yards per catch, catch percentage, and touchdowns per catch.
Reagor’s having a solid rookie season and as his chemistry with Carson Wentz grows, so will his production. It just so happens that Jefferson has been playing out of his mind as a rookie and is the top-5 of every statistical ranking for rookies.
Reagor’s future in Philadelphia is bright and his time will come even as fans and analysts get caught up in the moment.
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