Eagles must have big plans for Jalen Hurts after drafting him No. 53 overall

Jalen Hurts’ draft stock was soaring over the last few months, and that culminated in him being drafted higher than many expected.

Hurts was taken No. 53 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Draft on Friday. Philly already has Carson Wentz under contract and believes in him as a franchise quarterback, but now they have themselves a very versatile player to add to the mix.

Hurts is a dual-threat player who rushed for 3,274 yards in his college career, in addition to passing for 80 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He showed how adept he was at running the fast-paced offense in Oklahoma after transferring there and could be used as a gadget guy.

Many believe that Philly taking him so high indicates they have plans to use him in similar ways to how the Saints use Taysom Hill.

Early prediction: Jalen Hurts plays a Taysom Hill role for the #Eagles as they groom him. They always like to groom QBs.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 25, 2020

If Hurts develops to a point that the Eagles consider making him their franchise quarterback, they could part with Wentz after 2021 for $24.5 million in dead cap space.

Also keep in mind that Wentz missed time in both 2017 and 2018, so having a high-quality backup is important for the Eagles.