Why Josh Huff Will Be Philadelphia Eagles' Most Improved Player in 2015

The Philadelphia Eagles spent a third-round draft pick on wide receiver Josh Huff in the 2014 NFL draft, and it's safe to say head coach Chip Kelly's faith in his former Oregon Duck was not rewarded.

Huff was inconsistent, to say the least, as he struggled to get on the field and provided too many mental and physical lapses when he did play. He caught just eight passes, dropped four and fumbled one of his catches away near the goal line, according to Pro Football Focus.

In a year in which rookie receivers Odell Beckham, Jr., Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin stole the show—with numerous others like Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Jarvis Landry, John Brown, Martavis Bryant and Huff's own teammate, Jordan Matthews, putting up strong numbers of their own—Huff was essentially a no-show.

A lingering preseason shoulder injury that kept him inactive the first four weeks didn't help Huff, but staying on the field is part of an NFL player's job description. It was disappointing after Kelly felt strongly enough about Huff to take him in the third round, several rounds higher than where most draft experts thought he would go.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

There's reason to believe, though, that Huff will be much more successful in 2015; in fact, look for the second-year wideout to play a pivotal role in the Eagles offense.

Per The Morning Call's Nick Fierro, Huff has been seen taking snaps with the first-teamers. That could be because Kelly routinely likes to let his rookies (Nelson Agholor, in this case) earn their playing time, but it's also clearly a reflection of Kelly's confidence in Huff.

Huff still has a lot of things going for him, namely the ability to break tackles. He's built more like a running back at 5'11" and 206 pounds, which means he's tough to bring down in the open field.

Huff demonstrated that on multiple instances in 2014. His franchise-record 107-yard kick return touchdown against Tennessee was a thing of beauty, as was his 44-yard catch-and-run against Dallas later in the season.

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Despite his mental gaffes, there's no denying Huff is a playmaker when he gets the ball in his hands, and Kelly will assuredly find a way to feature Huff more in Year 2.

Last year's leading receiver, Jeremy Maclin, departed for Kansas City on a five-year deal. It's expected that Jordan Matthews and this season's first-round pick, Agholor, vie for significant playing time on the outside, with veteran Riley Cooper still in the mix.

Huff should push for Cooper's snaps. Kelly will always value the ability to block as an asset from his receivers, which is why Cooper played as many snaps as he did a year ago despite mediocre receiving numbers.

But Cooper offers minimal skills as a receiver, and Huff can make plays. He can't continue his rookie penchant for mental mistakes and dropped passes, but now that he's fully healthy, it's reasonable to expect solid production from him.

Don't forget Huff's 107-yard kick return came on just his fourth career kick return in an NFL regular-season game. He had a 102-yard score in the preseason as well.

Kelly also has a way of getting the most out of his receivers. DeSean Jackson and Maclin each put up their best offensive numbers in Kelly's system. Cooper broke out enough in 2013 that he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension. And Matthews' numbers last year as a rookie would normally rank among the elite rookies in the league. So that bodes well for Huff as he's set to enter 2015.

He will likely be given every opportunity to win the kick returning job in 2015. He's strongly in the mix for one of the top receiving spots, and he should be able to hold off veteran Miles Austin. Huff is an injury to one of the top three receivers away from seeing significant action.

And unlike last year, when injuries and inconsistencies plagued him, expect Huff to seize the moment.