When the 2022 NFL Draft kicked off on Thursday night in Las Vegas, the Philadelphia Eagles made, arguably, the most unexpected, stunning, and long-awaited move of the four day event.
After an earlier trade with the Saints, the Eagles strode into Vegas with two first round draft picks. It was the perfect scenario for a team needing to bolster both sides of the ball with young talent.
As the night progressed to the Eagles’ first pick in the first round, the activity in their war room back in Philadelphia picked up.
First, they traded their 15th, 124th, 162nd and 166th picks to the Texans to move up to the 13th spot, where they selected Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
Then, right before their selection at 18, the Eagles traded the 18th and 101st picks to the Titans for rising star receiver, A.J. Brown.
And that’s when Philadelphia finally did something other teams seldom used to do.
Give a young Black quarterback a star receiver.
It was a move that made Jalen Hurts and all Eagles fans ecstatic. The Eagles finally acquired a Pro Bowl receiver and demonstrated the team’s commitment to their quarterback.
Remember, at the start of the 2021 season the Eagles and then new head coach Nick Sirianni were lukewarm on Hurts as their starter.
Even after he rewarded them with a playoff appearance and great promise of things to come, hesitancy and doubt remained.
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