How Allen Hurns Went from Undrafted Rookie to Fantasy Darling

The Jacksonville Jaguars looked like they body-snatched the Philadelphia Eagles for the first half of their Week 1 tilt in the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia bumbled and tumbled its way to a 17-0 deficit that could have been much larger had Jacksonville capitalized on more opportunities. Philadelphia looked staggered, its fans bewildered and the NFL at large speechless.

Sadly, it wasn't meant to be—Eagles head coach Chip Kelly was masterful in his halftime adjustments and the Jaguars wound up imploding in the second half. But not before making waves across the league.

A big reason for Jacksonville's early success came from an unexpected source—undrafted free agent Allen Hurns.

The unheralded wide receiver out of Miami got the start thanks to a bad hamstring for Cecil Shorts III, and he shined like no other rookie in NFL history.

"

Jaguars WR Allen Hurns is the 1st player in NFL history to score 2 receiving TD's in the 1st quarter of his NFL debut.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 7, 2014"

Hurns was spectacular early, staking the Jaguars to a 14-0 lead before Eagles fans could down a beverage. His early onslaught caught the attention of many across the league—both in the real and fantasy football realms—and he is sure to be burning up waiver wires across the world this week.

"

Undrafted #Canes WR Allen Hurns in the first quarter of his NFL career: 3 catches, 101 yards, 2 TDs.

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) September 7, 2014"

He would add just one more catch for nine yards, but it was quite the debut for an undrafted free agent. Let's take a closer look at Hurns' breakout performance and his fantasy football prospects going forward.

As was the case for much of the first half, Hurns' fist touchdown was largely a result of defensive incompetence. 

NFL Game Rewind

Hurns is seen here with a 10-yard cushion, which should make getting beat deep more difficult with a safety back there. Eagles cornerback Cary Williams accepted that challenge, however, seemingly escorting Hurns into the end zone on the throw.

NFL Game Rewind

Of course, he was probably expecting help from safety Allen, who can be seen breaking toward tight end Marcedes Lewis, who was running an out pattern underneath Hurns. Williams was playing too high and outside to think otherwise—well, hopefully, at any rate.

Allen moved up, exposing the inside and springing Hurns. Good play design and execution tricked the soft Eagles defense and Hurns waltzed into the end zone. 

His second touchdown was more of the same. Running a similar post pattern from the other side—this time just 21 yards from pay dirt—Hurns found a huge hole in the zone coverage the Eagles were running this time around. 

NFL Game Rewind

Allen was in single-high coverage this time, while cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Williams were in a shallow zone, leaving a massive soft spot in the middle of the field. Both were preoccupied with receiver Marqise Lee or whatever was happening in the backfield, allowing Hurns to get behind them.

All he did was run his post route, and he couldn't help but be wide open. Apparently quarterback Chad Henne was surprised, too, because he almost blew the play.

NFL Game Rewind

He snagged a bad pass from Henne and managed to turn back up-field. He then split two defenders and dragged them into the end zone, an all-around impressive play. It was an impressive display of athleticism and savvy.

It was also another horrid display of defense by Philadelphia. It's as if the Eagles thought an undrafted free agent could beat them.

But wait, there's more.

Backed up against their own goal line, Henne and the Jaguars escaped with a 46-yard beauty of a play to Hurns near the end of the first quarter.

NFL Game Rewind

By now the Eagles figured out they needed to try to cover Hurns—at least a little more aggressively than leaving him wide open—and Williams was tasked with man coverage. Hurns rewarded him with a nasty double move that shook him loose for the big gain.

That may have been the most embarrassing defensive breakdown of the first quarter for Williams, who was completely fooled.

"

Glad i wrote about Hurns 3 weeks ago. Wish the #eagles defense read it. Wish i drafted him in fantasy

— Michael Tanier (@MikeTanier) September 7, 2014"

So this Allen Hurns character is pretty good. Was his breakout merely a sign of things to come, or was it a mirage?

There are a couple of issues when looking at future prospects for Hurns, at least from a fantasy perspective this season. The biggest issue is the imminent return of starting receiver Cecil Shorts III. 

His hamstring kept him out of Week 1, and Shorts is one of those perennially plagued injuries waiting to happen. It's his job when he gets back, though, and it is unclear how much that will impact Hurns. Third-round pick Allen Robinson was still recovering from a preseason injury, which is probably why he saw just 21 snaps.

To be sure, Hurns should have earned a larger role in the offense even when Shorts returns and Robinson is fully healthy. Whether or not the undrafted free agent has accumulated enough capital to make that a reality over second-round pick Lee will be interesting to see.

The other downside with Hurns is his dumpster fire of a quarterback and the fact he won't be facing Cary Williams and that Eagles defense every week. What will happen when he runs into a quality cover cornerback?

It was a great Week 1 story, but there are too many red flags to heavily invest in the talented rookie. 

Follow @AlexMiglio