Is Jalen Hurts Howie Roseman’s greatest-ever draft pick?
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has made a strong case for the NFL MVP award this season. He and the Philadelphia Eagles are off to a 8-0 start after beating the Houston Texans to open Week 9. In the win, the quarterback went 21 of 27 for 243 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman drafted the former Oklahoma Sooners star in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It begs the question: Is Hurts the best draft pick made by Roseman?
To best answer that question, it requires a trip down memory lane. Roseman became the Eagles' general manager in 2010. Since then, he's made tons of draft picks. To be specific, Roseman has drafted 25 players in the first and second rounds of the NFL since 2010.
The gems were defensive tackle Brandon Graham in the first round of the 2010 draft and tight end Dallas Goedert in the second round of the 2018 Draft. For some Eagles fans, don't remind them of Roseman taking wide receiver Jalen Reagor in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
Mentioning receiver Jordan Matthews, who Roseman drafted in the second round of the 2014 Draft, is something to be forgotten as well.
Here are the 25 players Roseman has drafted since 2010 in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft:
While Roseman has gone different ways, he's only drafted two quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz. Hurts ended up replacing Wentz as the Eagles' starting quarterback in Week 13 of the 2020-21 season. Soon after, Roseman dealt Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts that offseason.
In four starts made by Hurts in that 2020-21 season, he threw for a total of 919 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also rushed for 245 yards and four touchdowns that season.
Jalen Hurts and his starting career since Roseman drafted him
The 2021-22 season was Jalen Hurts' first full season as the starting quarterback for the Eagles. He started 15 games for Philadelphia that season, throwing for 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
He rushed for 734 yards and 10 touchdowns in the 2021-22 season. The 10 touchdowns were tied for the sixth-most that season.
Currently, Roseman's second-round pick is fifth in the NFL in passing yards with 2,042 yards and seventh in touchdowns with 12. He's fourth on the ground with six touchdowns. The 24-year-old's 107.8 passer rating is also the third-best in the NFL.
Roseman defended drafting Hurts despite having Wentz on the roster after the 2020 Draft:
“The one thing, I think it’s okay to question me, it’s okay to question our thought process — and we’ll get through that a little bit here — but I don’t want to get lost in the fact that Jalen Hurts is an Eagle and he’s ours. And this is one of the great college football players of the past four years.
"This is one of the great character guys, in this draft. This is one of the great leaders, in this draft. This is an asset to any football team."
What is Jalen Hurts' current market value?
The quarterback isn't slated to be a free agent until the 2024-25 season, but Roseman will have to consider his value for a new contract.
According to Spotrac, Jalen Hurts' new deal will be a six-year, $269.3 million deal, making $44.8 million a season. While the deal is a projection, it would put the Eagles star in the range of quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson's recent contracts.
Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension this offseason with the Arizona Cardinals, with a $46.1 million yearly salary. Watson signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns back in March.
If the Eagles' franchise quarterback keeps playing like he has this season, the value is only going to get higher.