While pretty much everyone was shocked that the Green Bay Packers traded up to draft Jordan Love in the first round, almost as many were shocked that the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round.
Josh McCown, however, was not.
“No, not really,” the former Eagles quarterback said on The Zach Gelb Show. “From being around the organization, I got the sense that it’s an aggressive group. They’re always looking at every way to make the roster better. The only thing that maybe was surprising was you have a young quarterback that’s ascending, but at the same time, recent history with going from [Nick] Foles and different backups – and even myself being there this year, coming in on short notice – I think there’s an idea to solidify that spot and find a young player that maybe you can invest it, that you can develop.”
Hurts had a storied college career. He led two programs – Alabama and Oklahoma – to the College Football Playoff and won a national title with the Tide.
“I think he’s unique in the sense that he’s got a chance to help you early in other situations – and not just playing quarterback – because of his athleticism,” McCown said. “So we’ll see how that goes. But no, the aggressiveness, the way that [the Eagles] go about every day, it wasn’t surprising.”
McCown believes Carson Wentz likely feels the same way.
“What you see is what you get with Carson,” he said. “I think every quarterback – you look at Aaron in Green Bay – every quarterback wants a lineman, a receiver, a tight end, a running back – every pick. It’s like you can only pick those four positions. Most quarterbacks will tell you just give me a receiver and a tight end every other pick. We want to be helped so we can do our job. Every quarterback looks at every draft with a fine-tooth comb. You hope that they’re building around you. So I’m sure there’s a moment of going, ‘Oh, man.’ But at the same time, they were able to pick up three receivers and continue to build the offense and trade for Marquise Goodwin. So you’re adding overall team speed, which fits and tailors to Carson’s skillset.
“So I don’t think it’s a thing for Carson,” McCown continued. “It’s not a big deal to him. Ultimately, he cares about moving the football. If he felt like [the Eagles] did that in the draft – and I believe he does – then he’ll be in good shape.”