The Philadelphia Eagles surprised many by selecting speedster Jalen Reagor in the first round. With Doug Pederson's team finally starting on-field practices, the rookie is able to show off the skill set that made him a top pick.
"Jalen Reagor has really been impressive out on the football field," Pederson said Monday after practice, via the Associated Press.
During the first day of padded practices, quarterback Carson Wentz reportedly showed chemistry with the rookie, connecting with him on several long gains.
"It's been a lot of fun just to work with him," Wentz said. "He's an explosive athlete. You can see that with his route-running ability and his down-the-field presence. You turn on his highlight tape and you can see what he does with the ball in his hands, and that's one thing that we haven't been able to see with just practices going on."
Reagor's speed made him the 21st overall pick out of TCU in the 2020 draft, with the Eagles knowing that they needed swiftness at the position after suffering sans DeSean Jackson most of last season.
With Alshon Jeffery continuing to work back from injury, Reagor has had the opportunity to work on the outside with Jackson during practices. The duo gives Wentz a pair of field-stretching menaces.
The rookie, according to Wentz, hasn't struggled with the Eagles offense despite no on-field work before training camp.
"I know what he brings as a threat to the defense and he's picked up on things really well," Wentz said. "He's always listening and always curious about why we're doing things a certain way or how I saw a certain play. And that's the type of thing I look for as a veteran and look for these young guys that truly want to learn, the ones that truly want to grow and want to be great. I see that with him and I see an extremely bright future in him. I'm excited to help him become the player that he dreams of being."
After the position was decimated last season due to injury, the Eagles are expecting big things from the rookie right off the bat. With Jeffery and Jackson's injury history, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside starting camp hurt on the sideline, Reagor and Greg Ward could play key roles for Wentz this season. So far, the rookie has impressed in limited on-field opportunities.
