Jan 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (62) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) embrace before a game against the New York Giants during an NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Bill Streicher
Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce are two of the most successful Eagles players in recent memory. They might not have a ton in common, but one similarity is they were players the Eagles were willing to take chances in the draft, but for different reasons.
Kelce was an undersized center coming out of Cincinnati, but the Eagles saw potential in him in the sixth round. Hurts, on the other hand, was a successful college quarterback seen as an NFL project. The Eagles already had Carson Wentz as their signal caller, which meant quarterback wasn't a need. That didn't stop Howie Roseman from selecting Hurts.
Taking Hurts in the second round worked out and so did picking Kelce in the sixth. They're two of the best draft picks the Eagles have ever made, with both selections ranked as two of the best in the past 25 years by Yahoo! Sports' Frank Schwab. Kelce came in at No. 9, while Hurts was third.
Kelce's spot as an Eagles great has long been cemented. There's an argument for him being the most iconic Eagles player ever. Nobody could've seen that coming in 2010.
Kelce made 193 regular season appearances and earned six First-Team All-Pro selections with the Eagles. He became a cornerstone for the franchise and is one of the best centers in NFL history, likely to be a Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible.
Kelce was one of three sixth-round picks in Yahoo!'s top 10, joining Antonio Brown and Tom Brady.
While Kelce's draft pick initially went under the radar because it was a Day 3 selection, Hurts' certainly didn't.
In 2020, Carson Wentz had just led the Eagles to an NFC East title after playing stellar down the stretch, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards without a wide receiver surpassing 500 yards. Wentz was a year removed from a massive four-year, $128 million contract extension, signaling he was the Eagles' franchise quarterback.
Still, the Eagles drafted Hurts, which many people questioned. The Eagles have always valued backup quarterbacks. Nick Foles famously won a Super Bowl as a backup after replacing an injured Wentz.
When Hurts was drafted, Wentz was in need of weapons to help him sustain his previous success. Spending a second-round pick on a backup quarterback seemed preposterous.
That's far from the truth now. Wentz didn't even last a full season before Hurts replaced him as the starter. In four full seasons as a starter, Hurts has established himself as the Eagles' franchise quarterback. He's led them to two Super Bowl appearances — including a Super LIX victory — and hasn't suffered any major injuries to derail him.
There could be a little recency bias in putting Hurts at three, considering he won the Super Bowl a few months ago. He's ahead of players like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson, all of whom are better than Hurts. But Hurts' ranking is contingent on the fact quarterback wasn't a glaring need for the Eagles when they drafted him.
"It's a good lesson that picks that don't make sense at the time can change NFL history," Schwab said.
The only players ranked above Hurts were Brady and Brock Purdy. Brady, famously went from being a sixth-round pick into the best player of all time. Purdy, on the other hand, was Mr. Irrelevant and ended up as a solid starting quarterback in the league.
Those were late-round steals for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles took a risk by drafting Hurts early on and it paid off big time.
