Jun 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers Jordan Matthews (81) and Nelson Agholor (17) during minicamp at The NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Philadelphia Eagles just got done losing receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin the last two years. So you would think the Eagles would be hurting at the receiver position but they’re not. That’s because in the 2015 NFL Draft, they selected receiver Nelson Agholor with the No. 20 overall pick.
Agholor will be joining second-year talent Jordan Matthews to maintain the Eagles passing game. Matthews had 67 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, No. 2 among rookies in franchise history. And it looks like they’ll be a good pair as Agholor has shown off his speed, athleticism and route-running in the offseason program.
I know there were no pads on but you can see when rookie receivers have the skills to compete at this level. And Agholor clearly has the speed and athleticism, making several catches by out-jumping a defender and he runs crisp routes. Agholor told Philly.com afterward that Matthews is “like a brother already,” and Matthews upped the ante on that by asserting they were “like twins.”
Agholor also told Philly.com, “We’ve worked on release work, and we’ve just talked ball. “Trying to pick Jenkins’ brain, because, obviously, Jenkins is a vet, and he’s seen a lot of ball. So we kind of get an idea of how things work, and how he’s thinking.”
Matthews said “We’ve got a nice, young group of guys. The talent jumps off the board with Nelson; the dude’s one of the most explosive guys on the team already. His work ethic speaks for itself. I think we’re real compatible. I love spending time with the guy, not just here, but outside of football. Great personality. I know the city’s going to love him.”
Josh Huff, Riley Cooper and veteran free-agent signee Miles Austin will also be in the fold.
Get ready Eagles fans!