Eagles give up on former first-rounder Jalen Reagor, trade him to Vikings
After two conspicuously quiet years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Reagor is getting a fresh start.
The Eagles traded the former first-round wide receiver to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday for a 2023 seventh-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick, the team announced Wednesday. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 2024 pick can reportedly become a fifth-rounder if Reagor doesn't meet certain statistical thresholds.
The #Vikings have traded for WR @jalenreagor!!
📰: https://t.co/ApkZfwyUMQpic.twitter.com/RFoN9hGbyj— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 31, 2022
The trade ends a disappointing tenure in Philadelphia for Reagor, who posted 695 total receiving yards in two years after the team drafted him 21st overall out of TCU in the 2020 NFL draft.
The Eagles drafted Reagor hoping they were getting a field-stretching big-play threat, but he never really developed into even a starting-quality wide receiver. His nadir came late last season, when he dropped two potential game-winning touchdowns in one game and mishandled multiple punts in the Eagles' season ending wild-card loss.
Reagor had been thought to be on the roster bubble at one point this offseason. He eventually made the Eagles' 53-man roster, but trade speculation was unavoidable and, now, clearly warranted.
Failing to find a quality wide receiver in the first round hurt for the Eagles, but the miss becomes straight-up agonizing when you factor in opportunity cause.
The Eagles drafted Jalen Reagor instead of Justin Jefferson
While Reagor was struggling in Philadelphia, the player taken one pick after him in 2020 was setting records.
That player was 2020 22nd overall pick Justin Jefferson, who is already a two-time second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the Vikings. Jefferson set the NFL rookie record for receiving yards in 2021 with 1,400, then followed that up with a monster 1,616-yard, 10-touchdown season last year.
Twisting the knife for Philadelphia is that Jefferson said he expected to go to the Eagles last year:
Leading up to the draft, you know, they had all of those mock drafts and people sharing their opinions on who is going to go where. A lot of people had me going to Philly. And, I thought I was going to Philly. Honestly. The funny part is, Philly was on the board and then Minnesota called me. At first, I thought it was Philly. But, I answered the phone and it was Minnesota. It’s crazy how all of that happened and everything. But, I’m definitely, definitely, definitely excited that I’m on the Vikings rather than Philly.
When the Eagles drafted Reagor, the Vikings' decision-makers were seen laughing at them leaving Jefferson on the board. With Reagor now headed their way, odds are the laughter hasn't stopped.
