How Good is the Eagles Young Offensive Core?

While expectations might not be high for the 2021 Eagles, the future seems bright for this team.

The Eagles offense features a plethora of exciting options including first-round picks at wide receiver with DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor.  They also have plenty of talent around those two with second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Miles Sanders and RB Kenneth Gainwell.  Plus promising young wide receivers Quez Watkins and Travis Fulgham, along with tight end Dallas Goedert.

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With all that talent, CBS Sports NFL writer Chris Trapasso ranked the NFL's top 10 young offensive cores, with the Eagles group coming in at No. 3 behind just San Francisco and Denver.

Man, there's a lot of young talent in Philadelphia. I'm not particularly high on Hurts, but the rationale behind that statement is for another article. Sanders feels like he's been the Eagles lead back for, like, five seasons. He's only 24. We saw what Watkins can do with the ball in his hands in Philly's first preseason outing -- the 4.35 he ran at the combine legitimately translates to the field -- and Fulgham was a glimmer of hope in the Eagles receiving unit last season. Oh yeah, then there's the two first-rounders, Reagor and Smith. If healthy, they can be complete wideouts who win with separation ability, YAC juice, and ball-tracking mastery downfield. This is a young, fun core.

The criteria used here was as follows:

• A starting QB entering no later than his fifth NFL season.
• Receivers and tight ends entering no later than their fourth NFL season.
• Running backs entering no later than their third season

The Eagles were the only NFC East team that made the list with Baltimore, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Miami, Kansas City, Arizona and Cincinnati rounding out the Top-10.

As I have been saying on the Sports Bash, if the Eagles offensive line can stay healthy, they should be one of the best units in the NFL this season.  With that a lot falls on the shoulders of Hurts, who has some weapons to play with, if he can get them the ball and let them use their speed.

If the Eagles just got average play from Carson Wentz last season, they likely are better than the 4-11-1 record they finished the season with.  If Hurts can take a step forward this season, expect the Eagles to improve not only this season, but in future seasons as well.