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The Eagles are looking to become a pass-first offense that’ll be centered around DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, and Dallas Goedert, but the explosive running ability of quarterback Jalen Hurts won’t be abandoned.
Hurts led Philadelphia in rushing during the 2021 NFL season with almost 800-yards on the ground and several of his dynamic runs were game-changing or put the Eagles in a position to win the day.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook recently ranked the 10 most explosive runners in the league using a formula predicated on a minimum of 100 carries in 2021 and at least 20 or more carries of 10-plus yards.
Add in Shook utilizing the total number and percentage of 15-plus mph runs as the defining measurement of an explosive run, and 10 players made the cut, including two quarterbacks.
No. 1 on the list was none other than Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Rank
1
Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles · QB
10+ yard runs: 29
10+ pct: 20.9%
15+ mph runs: 78 (most in NFL)
15+ mph pct: 56.1%Philadelphia found itself in a bit of an offensive rut in 2021 before reimagining itself as a run-first, dual-threat attack with Hurts leading the way. From there, the Eagles, well, took flight, with Hurts using his abilities to keep defenses guessing. The shift in philosophy produced the league’s top rushing offense.
Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor was second on the list, followed by Dalvin Cook (3), Nick Chubb (4), and Bills quarterback Josh Allen rounding out the top-5.
If the Eagles can 2 or 3 explosive runs out of Hurts, coupled with improved accuracy and decision making, Philadelphia will certainly win the NFC East.
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