Most Disappointing Eagles Draft Picks Over The Past Decade
Updated: Jul 12, 2023
The NFL Draft is fast approaching. It will be interesting to see what the Eagles do with their picks this year. The Eagles have three top-20 picks and ten picks overall. Eagles fans are hoping they can get at least a few franchise players this year.
The Eagles have had some great picks over the past decade, but there are a few that did not work out. Here are the five most disappointing Eagles’ draft picks over the past decade:
5. Eric Rowe
Eric Rowe was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft. The Eagles moved up five spots to get the former Utah safety and cornerback. He was selected to compete for the starting cornerback job in his rookie season. Rowe became the Eagles’ nickel corner and recorded 24 tackles, one interception, and five pass deflections in his first year.
The Eagles traded Eric Rowe right before the 2016 season for a fourth-round pick. It is surprising they moved on so quickly. Rowe played three seasons in New England before signing with the Dolphins. He has put together decent seasons in Miami.
The Eagles continue to have a revolving door at the cornerback position. Free agent signings like Darius Slay have worked out for the Eagles, but they need to do a better job evaluating defensive back talent in the draft.
4. JJ Arcega-Whiteside
The Eagles selected JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was expected to produce right away due to the Eagles being thin at the wide receiver position. In 2019, the Eagles lost Golden Tate to free agency and lost Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson to injuries. Arcega-Whiteside has just 290 career receiving yards and one touchdown in his three seasons so far.
Arcega-Whiteside was drafted just ahead of several other quality receivers. DK Metcalf and Diontae Johnson were available and are having nice careers for the Seahawks and Steelers. The Eagles went into 2020 and 2021 still needing a top receiver. 2021 first-round pick DeVonta Smith could fill that void, but the Eagles still need more talent at wide receiver. Arcega-Whiteside is currently with the Eagles, but possibly not for much longer.
3. Sidney Jones
Cornerback Sidney Jones was taken in the second round of the 2017 draft. He played college football at Washington. Jones was selected even though he was recovering from an Achilles injury. He was not ready for game action until later in the season and was not needed for the playoffs.
Jones was given a chance to start in 2018 but went down with a hamstring injury in Week Six. He was in and out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. Jones again had hamstring injury concerns in 2019 and only made 4 starts. In early September 2020, the Eagles released him.
Sidney Jones could not stay healthy. Eagles fans will never know what his potential could have been. He had a disappointing time in Philadelphia, but NFL teams are still giving him a chance. He had one year with the Jaguars before having a decent year with the Seahawks in 2021.
2. Marcus Smith
Marcus Smith was a surprise first-round pick by the Eagles in the 2014 draft. He was drafted to be an outside linebacker in Billy Davis’ 3-4 defense. Smith had zero production his rookie year in eight games as a special teams and rotational player. He had just four sacks and 16 tackles in his first three seasons in Philadelphia.
In 2017, Smith skipped voluntary training camp as he was about to begin his fourth season. He was then released and signed by the Seahawks. Smith spent one year in Seattle before getting released. He got his final NFL chance with Washington at the end of the 2018 season.
This was a disappointing pick as Smith never lived up to first-round expectations. Many analysts called this pick a reach. The top players in the draft were already taken, so the Eagles settled for Smith to fill a need.
1. Jalen Reagor
Jalen Reagor’s first two NFL seasons have been a major disappointment. He was drafted in the first round in 2020 out of TCU. Reagor had a 1,000-yard season his sophomore year in college and became the highest drafted wide receiver in TCU history.
Reagor’s NFL production has been limited. He had 396 receiving yards and one touchdown in 2020 but regressed in 2021. This past season, Reagor had just 280 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He had two major drops in the Eagles’ close loss to the Giants in Week 12 of the 2021 season. Reagor also had a disappointing playoff game against the Buccaneers. He had just one catch for two yards and two muffed punts.
Reagor is going into his third season. He is still young and has talent. The Eagles use him as a punt returner, so he is expected to be on the roster in 2022. If he can’t improve his receiving numbers, the Eagles should look at replacing him soon.
This is the most disappointing draft pick of the past decade because the Eagles left Justin Jefferson on the board. The former LSU standout has put up big numbers for the Vikings. Jefferson already has two Pro Bowl and two First-Team All-Pro honors in just his first two seasons.