Jalen Hurts has yet to play a down in the NFL, yet he’s been the subject of countless debates and discussion since the Eagles made him the No. 53 overall pick in the second round of the draft.
Hurts has either been labeled the Eagles future, a gadget player, or an asset that the Birds will eventually turn into a first-round pick. Hurts’ has definitely been polarizing and Bleacher Report recently deemed him the Eagles’ biggest X-Factor heading into the 2020 season.
Philadelphia Eagles: QB Jalen Hurts
26 OF 32The Philadelphia Eagles did not draft former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts to replace Carson Wentz. However, this doesn’t mean Hurts cannot be a valuable X-factor in 2020.
The Heisman finalist won’t merely be Wentz’s backup, you see. According to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, they also plan to utilize him in offensive sub-packages.
“Taysom Hill [package] on steroids,” one source said, per Robinson.
Fans who have watched Hill create mismatches for New Orleans over the last couple of years got a glimpse of what sort of impact Hurts can have—only, the upside is far greater. Hurts has legit 4.59 speed and has improved his throwing ability since losing Alabama’s starting gig to Tua Tagovailoa.
Last season, Hurts threw for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,298 yards and 20 scores. He isn’t going to approach these numbers as an NFL rookie, but they should give you an idea of just how much of an X-factor Hurts can be.
The Eagles are banking on developing Hurts any early extended playing time would be disastrous because that would mean Carson Wentz suffered another significant injury.
The plan for Hurts is to get on the field in a Taysom Hill-type role this season while alleviating some of the hits Carson Wentz would normally take.
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