Philadelphia Eagles: Identifying the Perfect Draft Replacement for Jeremy Maclin

One of the surprising moves of the offseason was when the Philadelphia Eagles opted not to re-sign Pro Bowl wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, a 26-year-old former first-round pick coming off a career year in Chip Kelly's offense.

To be fair, the Eagles did bid for Maclin, but Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs simply outbid them, as The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane reported they were willing to pay $1 million more per year.

What that does is leave a glaring need at the wide receiver position, with just Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Miles Austin and Josh Huff there to man the receiver roles now. Fortunately, there's a receiver in the draft with similar measurables to Maclin and the ability to contribute immediately as a rookie in 2015.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

USC's Nelson Agholor should be on Kelly's radar.

He's a talented receiver who should go in the top two rounds of the NFL draft. Agholor is a stretch at the No. 20 pick, but should Kelly trade back in the first round or select Agholor in Round 2, he's an ideal fit.

He had 104 receptions for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. He's a former teammate of Matt Barkley's, and we all know how Kelly feels about Pac-12 players.

The size and speed between Maclin and Agholor are uncanny.

Jeremy Maclin: 6'0", 198 pounds, 4.45 40-yard dash.

Nelson Agholor: 6'0", 198 pounds, 4.42 40-yard dash.

Kelly typically likes bigger receivers, which is likely why he jettisoned DeSean Jackson. However, he did make a serious attempt at re-signing Maclin before Reid bid higher. Agholor has a high ceiling as a rookie considering he's already a fairly polished receiver who runs excellent routes.

Drafting Agholor means the Eagles would only have to pay him at a rookie salary for four years (possibly three if he's extended early). For a coach like Kelly who splurged on free agents DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell in the offseason, this allows a similarly built receiver to play in his offense at a much cheaper cost.

Every receiver Kelly has had so far has thrived for him. Jackson posted career-best numbers and made his third Pro Bowl in 2013. Cooper played well enough to be re-signed to a five-year, $22.5 million deal last offseason. Matthews was a success as a second-round rookie slot receiver, and Maclin finally played to his true potential, reaching 1,300 yards and earning his first-ever Pro Bowl invitation.

Should the Eagles take Agholor, he's likely to start the season competing with Matthews and Huff for a spot on the outside. It's likely Kelly would play Matthews and Huff outside with Agholor in the slot; expect Cooper's role to simply diminish considering he lacks the ability to get open consistently.

Agholor won't likely reach 1,000 yards as a rookie; historically even first-round rookie receivers have a slow adjustment to the NFL. But there's reason to believe Kelly's system, given its past success, can get Agholor to post top-notch numbers within a few years.

Passing on Agholor wouldn't necessarily be a mistake, but the bottom line is that the Eagles do need to take a receiver in one of the first two rounds. If the team feels Jaelen Strong or Breshad Perriman isn't worth a first-round pick, Agholor is a great fit for this offense as a likely second-round addition.