The 2021 NFL Draft is only a couple months away. This is the most important draft in Eagles history. The team is about to start a very ugly rebuild. A lot of fan favorite players are about to move on. However, when one player leaves, a new fan favorite emerges. One fan favorite player I expect the Eagles to move on from is Zach Ertz. He is one of the greatest players in franchise history and played with so much heart. It was heartbreaking seeing his final press conference last season. That press conference showed us all exactly how much he loved this city and this franchise. However, this is a business and it does not make sense for this franchise or for him to stay here.
There are a lot of talks of who the Eagles will draft with the 6th pick. There are rumors that the Eagles top priority is Justin Fields. I personally feel that is the dumbest idea ever. We have a 22 year old Jalen Hurts. Jalen is not perfect and has a lot of areas he needs to improve on, but we need to give him time to learn and develop.
The big area of concern for the Eagles is at receiver. It is no secret, the Eagles wide receivers are bad. Jalen Reagor still needs to develop but it is clear he is very far from being the #1 option. The two clear choices for them would be Ja'Marr Chase of LSU and DeVonta Smith from Alabama.
However, what if I told you I do not think the Eagles should draft either of them. I think the Eagles should draft Kyle Pitts from Florida. This man is an absolute beast and has one of the highest draft grades regardless of position. Here are my reasons why the Eagles should draft the All-American Tight End.
1.Kyle Pitts will be an instant upgrade than any other WR on the roster.
There is no hiding that the Eagles receivers are poor. The Eagles should take multiple WR's this draft. Even though he lacks the speed like Reagor or DeSean Jackson, he still is very quick for his size. Average size of a NFL cornerback is 5'11" and Pitts is being listed as 6'6". He is an elite 50-50 ball catcher and if he is 1 on 1, it is a guaranteed victory for Pitts. He has soft hands, solid route running, and can pick up plenty of yards after the catch. In his senior season, he caught the ball 43 times (18 yards per catch) and had 12 touchdowns. Those numbers are insane for a tight end. None of the Eagles receivers even come close to Pitts' stats at Florida. I get there is a difference between college and the NFL, but you can not deny Pitts will be an instant upgrade if he continues that level of play .
Look at Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders. He is listed as TE, but lets be honest with each other, you view him more of a WR. Waller is the best receiver on his team, and he would be the WR1 on many other teams as well. Kyle Pitts will walk into Philadelphia as not only the TE1 but as the WR1 as well. He has the skills to be one of the best receivers in the NFL, and will fit in great with Jalen Hurts. The Eagles already have a solid TE in Dallas Goedert but there are some health issues. The Eagles really excel with two TE's. If they keep Goedert at tight end, they easily can move Pitts to a slot receiver.
2. Eagles can fix two problems with one pick.
During a rebuild, the draft is such an important event. This is a chance to get young players that will hopefully be the future of the franchise. When you have a high pick like the Eagles, the person they pick is even more important. The Eagles have a lot of needs this draft. WR is the biggest area of concern. Another area of concern is blocking. Last season, our offensive line was the most inconsistent thing I have ever seen. 14 starting combinations in 16 games? Then add in that Ertz and Goedert both missed time. Pitts' most underrated skill is his blocking. People are calling it a weakness but it definitely is not. He is not an elite blocker, but he is willing to dig his feet into the ground, use his size and strength, and block. With proper coaching and instruction, he can be an elite blocker. He has the size and strength to do so.
Since every draft pick is extremely valuable, by getting a player that can provide in multiple ways is super intriguing. If the Eagles can help both their receiving problem and blocking problem with one player, it would allow the Eagles to get another player who can help another issue. I would not trust or feel comfortable with Ja'Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith blocking. The Eagles have a lot of issues they need to address, if a player can do multiple things sign me up.
3. Kyle Pitts would be a hometown hero.
How great of a story would it be for a player from Philadelphia return to his hometown and win that city a Super Bowl? I am not sure about you, but that seems like a great story to me. Kyle Pitts played high school football up the road at Archbishop Wood where he won 2 PIAA Football Championships. The Eagles fan base has to be super skeptical of the front office lately. Bringing in a hometown player will provide a big positive boost for morale. Philadelphia loves players who are locals. Mike Trout got a standing ovation in his first game in Philadelphia even though he was playing for the Angels. Pitts won 2 state championships in Philadelphia, and I am sure would love to continue his legacy by winning his hometown a Super Bowl.
4. Potential to trade back.
This years draft is loaded at wide receiver. The clear top two receivers are Ja'Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith. I have seen some mock drafts that teams are willing to trade up to get one of them. Not only is this drafted loaded at WR, the top 4 QB prospects should all be drafted in the top 10. Teams who need a QB are looking to trade up to secure this pick. If the Eagles could trade back a couple picks, to allow teams to pick a QB, Smith, or Chase, this would give the Eagles still an opportunity to get a steal with Pitts and get much needed draft capital.
If the Eagles draft Kyle Pitts there should not be one angry fan. He is a generational player. No one has said that about Chase or Smith. Kyle Pitts is a generational player. He is positionless and will make an impact on every single play. This guy is elite and will make major boosts to a very depleted offense. The Eagles can build around Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, and Kyle Pitts. I am a huge advocate of this, I am going to go big here. Kyle Pitts will go down as one of the greatest Eagles of all time. Therefore, the Eagles should make a move on him.
5. Overall great fit
There is no hiding the Eagles need to improve on offense. With a new head coach in Nick Sirianni and new offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, the Eagles offense will make a lot of adjustments. By bringing in a new elite TE in Kyle Pitts, he does not know the old system, he will only know the new system ,and will have less of a learning curve. The Eagles need help at multiple areas on offense. They need a pass catcher and a blocker. They are getting two for the price of one. New QB's coach Brian Johnson worked with Pitts at Florida. Johnson will be able to teach Jalen Hurts exactly how to play with Pitts. Brian Johnson will help Jalen Hurts and Kyle Pitts be one of the best partnerships in football. The Eagles need to be aggressive and smart this draft. This will be a huge pick that not only will the fans love but will go down as one of the best draft picks in Eagles history!