Eagles' Jalen Hurts Shades Patriots, Teams Who Passed on Him in 2020 NFL Draft

There have been rumors throughout the years that the New England Patriots perhaps had interest in Philadelphia Eagles superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts leading into the 2020 NFL draft, though they didn't pull the trigger on selecting him.

Ahead of the Week 1 matchup between the Birds and Pats, Hurts suspects quite a few teams have regrets about letting him slip to the 53rd overall pick:

That follows Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently saying that his team would have drafted Hurts if he fell further in the 2020 NFL draft.

But here's the interesting thing: Both the Patriots and Cowboys each had a chance to select Hurts in the second round. The Patriots could have done so at the No. 37 overall pick, instead selecting safety Kyle Dugger.

He's been solid for the team, steadily improving in his three seasons. He registered 78 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an NFL-leading three defensive touchdowns last season.

But Hurts was the MVP runner-up last season after throwing for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 66.5 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

The Patriots, meanwhile, tabbed Mac Jones as Tom Brady's replacement, and he hasn't exactly inspired confidence to this point in his career. Solid as Dugger has been, the Patriots would much rather have Hurts than the fourth-year safety and Jones.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, used the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 draft to select wideout CeeDee Lamb and the No. 51 pick to take cornerback Trevon Diggs. Both players are stars, and with Dak Prescott already available at the position, the Cowboys will have zero regrets about those decisions.

In the end, Hurts landed in the perfect situation, even if his selection at the time was a huge shock. The Eagles had Carson Wentz atop the depth chart in 2020, and he was in the first year of a four-year, $128 million extension.

But he was poor enough that year to be traded to the Indianapolis Colts, opening the door for Hurts to prove he could be the long-term answer at the position. He's since done that and then some, earning himself a five-year, $255 million extension this offseason in the process.

So yes, more than a few teams probably regret passing on Hurts. Patriots fans certainly will be wondering what might have been heading into Week 1.