Nelson Agholor Will Have Big Impact for Philadelphia Eagles as a Rookie
Nelson Agholor should feel aggrieved.
If you're not a close follower of the Philadelphia Eagles or the NFL draft, you've likely forgotten who he is. The former USC wide receiver was the 20th overall pick in the 2015 draft, but a culmination of different details resulted in him being almost completely overlooked by the media.
The Eagles have had one of the most eventful offseasons a team has ever had, swapping quarterbacks, shipping out disgruntled stars, revamping a defense and dealing with allegations of racism against their head coach.
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Each of those actions pulled attention away from Agholor, and national analysts were more likely to look at receivers taken ahead of him in the first round.
Despite being the 20th overall pick, Agholor was the fourth receiver taken. Amari Cooper went fourth overall, Kevin White went seventh and Devante Parker went 14th. Cooper has drawn rave reviews since camp began, while White and Parker have had major injury issues to discuss.
Agholor has quietly gone about his business to this point. He is competing for a starting spot in the offense. Jordan Matthews is assured of his spot as the slot receiver, while Josh Huff, Riley Cooper and Agholor are competing for the two boundary receiver spots.
Riley Cooper and Huff began camp ahead of Agholor, but that was likely a result of them not wanting to hand the rookie the starting spot. Both players are more experienced than Agholor, but they're not more talented.
It's implausible to think both Riley Cooper and Huff will beat out Agholor for a starting spot.
In fact, it's easy to argue Agholor is even more talented than Matthews, something that is reflected by the Eagles feeling the need to keep their second-year receiver in the easier slot spot instead of moving him outside.
Jeremy Maclin was the Eagles' best receiver last season when he played outside across from Cooper. Agholor has the talent to replicate what Maclin brought to the offense because he is a versatile athlete with refined technical ability to beat different kinds of coverages.
Head coach Chip Kelly broke down what made Agholor attractive after drafting him, per Mark Eckel of NJ.com:
"I think he's getting better every day. I think he could catch the ball away from his body. It always seems like, even though he's six feet, maybe six feet and half an inch, he plays bigger and taller and longer. He made a great catch on the sideline because he can extend. He can put his body in a lot of different situations.
He's got an extra gear that a lot of guys don't have. I think when he beats press coverage and takes off, you've got to make sure you understand how fast he is. I think sometimes we have underthrown him a couple times, just because we know how well he can accelerate. He does a great job of catching the ball and getting north and south and getting up the field. We've been really pleased with him the last three days.
"
What Kelly is describing is a versatile skill set: a player who can win big at the catch point, take advantage of space when it presents itself and who is refined enough to consistently beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage—the kind of receiver the Eagles lack without him.
Because of his versatility, Agholor should immediately translate to the NFL. He will be an effective rookie and could be a hugely productive player from Week 1 of his rookie season.
During his preseason debut, he reminded all onlookers of his potential.
Agholor's first reception was supposed to be a simple one. He was lined up to the top of the screen against deep off coverage. The receiver's route was a short curl, so unless the defensive back aggressively moved forward at the snap, he was going to be open immediately.
The defensive back didn't move forward, but Agholor wasn't getting a simple reception.
As is often the case with limited quarterbacks, Agholor was forced into an unnecessary adjustment to catch the ball. Mark Sanchez threw the ball early in his route, so Agholor had to quickly locate it when he turned around before fully extending to reach it above his head.
With soft hands, he plucked the ball out of the air.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Greg Toler took himself out of the play by trying to go for the interception. He ran past Agholor toward the sideline, not expecting the receiver to make a play on the ball. This opened space for Agholor to immediately turn into.
Once turned, Agholor had some space ahead of him, but a deep safety worked his way across the field. He was likely to get the first down but not much more.
His acceleration and straight-line speed allowed him to outrun the angle of the covering safety. Agholor stretched his legs and remained balanced as he advanced past the safety down the sideline and into the end zone for a touchdown.
Although this play came against soft coverage and didn't require him to run a precise route, this was a spectacular play from Agholor technically.
To even touch the football he needed to show off outstanding reaction skills. He immediately tracked the ball when he turned around and showcased the athleticism and comfort to pull it in at full extension. He was expecting to be hit when he landed, but was quick to recognize Toler wasn't there.
At that point, he showed off precise, quick feet to turn upfield and accelerate away from the pursuing defenders. Too many receivers wouldn't have even saw the ball early enough to touch it on this play. For Agholor, it simply gave him an opportunity to show off his outstanding ball skills.
In the second quarter, Agholor made a similar play on a curl route.
He didn't need to adjust to the ball on this occasion; instead, he had to wait for it. That wait gave the defensive back a chance to close on him. Importantly, Agholor anticipated his arrival and set his feet as the ball arrived so he could turn away from the impending tackle.
His strength and short-area burst allowed him to break the tackle of the defensive back before turning downfield for a first down.
Two other targets allowed Agholor to show off his awareness against zone coverage and his route running ability on a comeback route against off coverage. He made a catch away from his body to set up yards after the catch against zone, but he dropped a wobbling pass from Sanchez on his comeback route.
One of the biggest questions facing any outside receiver for the Eagles is how can they handle press coverage. Agholor's skill set suggests he will be effective against more aggressive coverage.
Against the Colts, Deveron Carr attempted to press Agholor at the line of scrimmage. Agholor was able to create a clean route to the sideline by making a quick inside move that he sold with his upper body. Once Carr bought on that fake, he had no chance of stopping Agholor.
The receiver was able to simply run away from the defensive back.
With an accurate pass, Agholor would have had the opportunity to run in a 65-yard touchdown run. Based on previous plays, that was more likely than unlikely. Instead, Matt Barkley's pass hung in the air for an age before dropping short of the receiver.
Agholor recognized this and worked back to the ball, putting himself in position to draw a pass interference penalty against the defensive back.
Facing actual NFL starters instead of fringe roster players, Agholor will have a tougher time getting off the line of scrimmage. However, his combination of size, quickness and balance will allow him to be effective immediately. If he adds greater strength, he could be one of the best receivers in the league at releasing from the line.
Even though this was just a preseason game and Agholor only caught a few passes, his play will have comforted Eagles fans who are concerned about the state of their receiving corps.
He is a safe bet to be the most productive rookie this season if quarterback Sam Bradford stays healthy. Amari Cooper might be a better overall player, but playing with the Oakland Raiders as the team's primary option in that scheme will likely limit his output.
The same can't be said for Agholor.
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