Player Profile: Jeremy Maclin

The Philadelphia Eagles started off their 2009 NFL Draft with a bang.  The Eagles faithful expected and desired for a draft day trade that landed us a wide receiver.  They got what they wished for, just not the wide receiver that was expected.

It was either Boldin or Braylon that was rumored to come to Philly, but that never happened.  Instead, the birds picked up the speedy wide out from Missouri, Jeremy Maclin.

Jeremy Maclin is a 6'1", 198 pound wide receiver with blazing speed, running a 4.3 40 yard dash at the combine.

Maclin spent just two years at Missouri.  In those two seasons, he cemented himself as one of the elite wide outs in collegiate football.

In two seasons at Missouri, Maclin caught 182 passes for 2,315 yards and 22 touchdowns.  He was a two time All-American and contributed heavily to the success of his team.

He was also a very dangerous return man, averaging over 73 yards per game on kick returns for the '07 season.

He scored a total of 32 times in 28 career games at Missouri, showing what type of playmaker he is.

So the million dollar question is, how will he fit in the Philadelphia Eagles offense?

It's tough to say, for the simple fact that he played the majority of his snaps in the slot.  He isn't accustomed to running the routes that are common in the West Coast Offense that the Eagles run.

The knock on Maclin is that he cannot get off press-coverage very well.  He can't get off jams well right now, but he has all the tools necessary to beat the tough press coverage.

He has quick hands and great footwork neccessary to get off the ball cleanly, it's just a matter of polishing those skills and using them to his advantage.

Also, he is a huge addition to the Eagles special teams.  Maclin will immediately impact the kick and punt return game because he can take the place of DeSean Jackson if the Eagles decide to have Jackson focus solely on the wide receiver position.

If Maclin has a good camp, he could be the slot receiver when the season begins.