Assigning Grades to Key Members of the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles: Part I (Offense)

Posted By on January 23, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 13: Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) hands the ball off to Running Back Miles Sanders (26) in the second half during the game between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles on December 13, 2020 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

 

The season wasn’t supposed to end like this. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t necessarily have to beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but an honest to goodness battle against the Super Bowl champions would have been an encouraging finish for Birds fans. Instead, the Eagles were shellacked in the wild card round, falling down 31-0 in the third quarter before two late touchdowns made the score seem closer than the game actually was.

Still, a postseason berth – plus three first round picks – isn’t bad for a rebuilding team. The Eagles overcame a rocky intro press conference from Nick Sirianni and a 2-5 start to win seven of their final 10 regular season games. Along the way, they found their offensive identity as a dominant running team, signed four-fifths of their 2018 draft class to extensions, and saw Sirianni emerge as arguably the best hire of the first-year head coaches.

Grades below are based on preseason expectations for the player. Every Eagles offensive player to see more than 100 snaps on offense is scored on the traditional A through F scale.

 

Quarterback

Jalen Hurts

Quarterback will always be a position on the hot seat in Philadelphia, and Jalen Hurts finishes 2021 exactly the way he started it – with his future unclear. There were a lot of aspects to like about Hurts’ game, and yet also problematic attributes that would give credence to any fan who wanted to acquire a big-name quarterback either via trade or the NFL draft.

Hurts struggled early on when asked to carry the load as a passer in a pass-heavy offense, then played his best football as a complimentary piece to an extreme run-heavy system. Hurts may never be a pure dropback passer, and he picked an unfortunate time (the playoff game) to have his worst game of the year. Tampa Bay loaded up the box with eight or more defenders on every play and saw Hurts throw multiple ill-advised interceptions.

Still, Hurts had his moments in 2021. He accounted for 26 total touchdowns to just 11 turnovers. He led his position in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl alternate nod in the process. He gave us an all-time highlight when he juked out New Orleans slot corner Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.

The stellar rushing performances overshadowed Hurts’ shaky passing performances, notably his accuracy on the deep ball. He completed just 38.1 percent of 20+ yard throws and only four quarterbacks threw more interceptions (5) on deep passes. If you go by 30+ yard passes, Hurts’ 45.7 passer rating was the worst in the NFL among QBs with 25 or more pass attempts. He has a tendency to roll to his right too much, lock onto one receiver, and not see the field as well as you’d like.

If you think Hurts is a franchise quarterback, it’s easy to point to the playoff appearance in his first season as starter, the rushing numbers, and the low cap hit in 2022. If you don’t think Hurts is a franchise quarterback, pick your favorite passing statistic to exploit, and argue that the three first-round draft picks should be swapped for Russell Wilson.

In all actuality, the argument shouldn’t be whether Hurts is a franchise quarterback; the Eagles don’t have to decide that until after 2022 or 2023. For now, it’s whether Hurts is good enough to remain the starter in ’22, and that should be an easy yes. Grade: B

 

Gardner Minshew

No one recognizes the importance of the backup quarterback position more than Howie Roseman. Not only did he sell Joe Flacco for a conditional sixth round pick, but it’s the same pick he had sent Jacksonville to acquire Gardner Minshew back in the preseason. Minshew filled in for Jalen Hurts in the Week 13 game against the New York Jets and was everything you’d want from a backup quarterback. Minshew was 20 of 25 for 242 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and no interceptions. Was it the Jets? Yes. Was it still the second-highest passer rating by any QB against the Jets this year? Yes, it was. Grade: A

 

Running Back

Miles Sanders

For the first half of the season, Nick Sirianni refused to run the ball with Miles Sanders, then completely overhauled the Eagles offense into a run-first offense (curiously) once Sanders got hurt. After Sanders returned though, Sirianni implemented him right back into the lead back role. Sanders’ Week 11 through 16 projection extrapolates to 1,544 rushing yards on over six yards per carry. Sanders definitely has his flaws – he’s injury-prone and he’s regressed as a pass catcher since his rookie campaign. He also didn’t score a touchdown on 163 touches in 2021, although to be fair, that’s probably more of an outlier than a career trend. Grade: B-

 

Jordan Howard

When Miles Sanders left Week 7 with an ankle injury, the Eagles called up their favorite practice squad running back – and all Jordan Howard did was give the offense their long-awaited offensive identity as a ground-and-pound running team. Howard rushed 12/57/2 in his first game against Detroit and followed it up with 17/7/1. He’s a downhill runner who averaged a healthy 4.7 YPC in 86 carries, and there’s reason to think he may be back with the Eagles in 2022. Grade: B+

 

Boston Scott

Before Miles Sanders’ Week 7 injury, Boston Scott didn’t have a single carry. After Sanders’ injury? The Eagles plugged in Scott (along with Howard) and saw the pint-sized runner contribute with 373 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (plus one more in the postseason). Scott has always been at his best as a Giant killer, scoring in both games against them again in 2021. Grade: B

 

Kenneth Gainwell

It was an odd season for the rookie Kenneth Gainwell. After he went 9/37/1 in the Eagles’ opener, it seemed he would be the team’s No. 2 runner behind Miles Sanders – and he sort of was, but don’t forget the team also didn’t really run the ball until Week 8. In the second half of the season, Gainwell was mainly the fourth runner, even serving as a healthy inactive on two occasions. But when the Eagles needed him, like against the New York Jets, Gainwell produced to the tune of a 12/54/1 line. Grade: B-

 

Wide Receiver

DeVonta Smith

It was a remarkable campaign for DeVonta Smith, who stepped right in as the No. 1 wide receiver as a rookie, leading the team in both receptions (64) and receiving yards (916). Extra game or not, he set the franchise rookie record for receiving yards – and he did this for an offense that rated 32nd in the league in pass attempts. Smith’s pristine route running ability and natural athleticism make him a slam dunk draft hit already, and catches like this one below are why his future is extremely bright. Grade: A

 

 

Jalen Reagor

Howie Roseman drafting Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson will not only live in Philadelphia sports infamy, but should reign in sports infamy. It’s not just that Reagor isn’t Jefferson; if Reagor hadn’t been picked in the first round, he wouldn’t be on the team. Realistically, however bad you think Reagor was in 2021, he was worse. He played all 17 games and totaled 299 receiving yards. He had as many fumbles (2) as receiving yards in the playoff game. The Eagles desperately tried to make him a key component of their offense, and it hindered Hurts’ development. Reagor shouldn’t be on the 2022 team. He can’t be. Grade: F

 

Quez Watkins

Quez Watkins was a pleasant surprise for the Eagles this season, especially considering he and John Hightower were probably fighting for one roster spot. Watkins is probably better suited as a No. 3 than a No. 2, but he has big play upside (and bouts of inconsistency). Watkins had the Eagles’ two longest receptions of the season (91 and 53 yards), and he had as many 40+ yard receptions (3) as every other member of the Eagles combined. Watkins’ 15.1 yards per catch average was the highest by an Eagles receiver with 40 or more catches since Jeremy Maclin in 2014. Grade: C+

 

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside

JJAW carved out a respectable role for himself as a special teams player but as an offensive player, he’s a complete and total liability. Arcega-Whiteside played in 16 of 17 games in 2021, finishing with two receptions for 36 yards and an all-time drop in the end zone. Grade: F

Greg Ward

It was a curious season for Greg Ward, who saw his role reduced to that of a fourth or fifth receiver, a year after leading the team in both receptions (53) and receiving touchdowns (6). Ward had three touchdowns in 2021 – on just seven catches – although he mainly played in meaningless garbage time situations. Grade: D-

 

Tight End

Dallas Goedert

Count me among the biggest Dallas Goedert fans in the world. The Eagles shipped Zach Ertz to Arizona before the trade deadline to make Goedert the featured part of their offense. Over the final 10 regular season games (plus one postseason contest), Goedert was on a 73/1,091 pace, averaging more yards per reception (14.8) than Gronk, Kittle, or Mark Andrews.

Goedert is a talented enough blocker that he can play on both passing and running downs. Drops were a problem for Goedert at the end of 2021, but still, you remove Goedert from this offense and Jalen Hurts has exactly one legitimate receiving target all year. Grade: A-

 

Zach Ertz

Trading away one of the team’s Super Bowl heroes couldn’t have been an easy move for Howie Roseman and Jeffrey Lurie, but his departure actually allowed the Eagles to transition to a 12 personnel offense while thrusting Dallas Goedert into a bigger role. Ertz is a future Eagles Hall of Famer, but his impact on the 2021 team was limited to an 18/189/2 line in six games. Grade: C-

 

Jack Stoll

Jack Stoll had exactly one role for the 2021 Eagles – to block. Once the team became a run-dominant team in Week 8, Stoll averaged almost 30 snaps per game as the second tight end in a primary 12 personnel offense. Stoll provided nothing as a receiver, but as a pass blocker, he was the single top-rated pass-blocking tight end in the league from Week 9 on. That’s exactly what the Eagles wanted from him. Grade: B

 

Tyree Jackson

There’s a lot to like about Tyree Jackson’s remarkable size and athleticism from his Player Profiler page.

After Jackson returned from IR in midseason, he saw a regular role as the No. 3 tight end in the Eagles’ offense, playing primarily as a blocker. It wasn’t until the meaningless Week 18 finale that Jackson saw his first NFL catch (finishing 3-22-1) before tearing his ACL. Grade: C-

 

Offensive Line

Jordan Mailata

Jordan Mailata is one of the more impressive draft picks Howie Roseman has ever made. A seventh round former Australian Rules football player, the Eagles gambled on Mailata’s insane physical tools. After working his way into the starting lineup a year ago, the organization inked Mailata to a four-year extension this offseason. Mailata rewarded them with a phenomenal season, rating as PFF’s No. 3 overall offensive tackle. He’s an incredible pass blocker and was instrumental in the Eagles’ switch to a run-dominant offense in the second half of 2021. Grade: A

 

 

 

Landon Dickerson

Injury concerns dropped Landon Dickerson to the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Through one season with the Eagles, it’s very apparent Dickerson can play at this level. Dickerson started 13 games for the team, making he and DeVonta Smith the first set of Eagles’ first and second round draft picks to each start 10+ games in their rookie season since 1995. Dickerson was instrumental in the Eagles’ rushing success. Grade: B

 

Jason Kelce

Jason Kelce has moved past future Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer to likely Pro Football Hall of Famer. Kelce started all 17 games this year, earning his fourth First-Team All-Pro selection, blocking for the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense. Kelce may be undersized, but normal centers can’t get to the second level with ease like he can. He’s the best player on this team. Grade: A

 

Nate Herbig

One of the best attributes of Howie Roseman is the value he places on backup offensive lineman. Nate Herbig was slated to be a depth piece in 2021 but injuries to both Isaac Seumalo and Brandon Brooks thrust him into a starting role. Herbig also can play center, and filled in for Jason Kelce in the first New York Giants game. Herbig would get exposed as a season-long starter, but he’s a good run blocker, and the Eagles went 4-1 in his five starts this year. Grade: C+

 

Lane Johnson

Year in and year out, Lane Johnson has been arguably the NFL’s best right tackle, and 2021 was no different. After missing three games due to anxiety, Johnson returned and played the best football of his career.

From Week 9 through Week 17, Johnson played 525 snaps. He allowed just two quarterback hurries. And that doesn’t even include what he did as a run blocker. Oh, and don’t forget Johnson catching the first touchdown of his career. It was a sensational season in all. Grade: A-

 

Andre Dillard

When you’re a third-year former first round pick and you’re a backup, it’s not what the organization was hoping for. Andre Dillard was forced into a starting role at left tackle in Weeks 3 and 4 with Mailata sidelined, and then the Eagles kept Dillard at left tackle for the next two weeks when Mailata returned – which is more because Dillard refuses to play anywhere but the blind side. Per PFF, Dillard graded near the middle of the pack, but he also surrendered more hurries than all but one tackle (12) and led the league in penalties (6). Grade: C-

 

Jack Driscoll

The Eagles were fortunate to have Jack Driscoll this season. The 2020 fourth round pick started nine games, the first at right tackle and the next eight at right guard before being placed on season-ending IR. Driscoll was PFF’s 12th rated guard during that span, and he was a key component in the rushing success of the offense. Grade: B+

 

Isaac Seumalo

How about the fact that the Eagles lost both starting guards for the season within the first three weeks – and still went on to lead the NFL in rushing and earn a postseason berth? Seumalo isn’t the player Brooks is, but he was playing extremely well early on. Per PFF, Seumalo was the third-highest rated guard in the weeks he played. Grade: Incomplete

 

Sua Opeta

The Eagles were forced to start Sua Opeta for two games in the 2021 regular season, and then the playoff game against Tampa Bay with Brooks/Seumalo/Driscoll/Herbig all sidelined. Opeta plated 145 snaps at LG, 66 at RG, and while he allowed 11 pressures in just three appearances, he also earned impressive PFF grades. Call it the Jeff Stoutland effect. Grade: B

 

 

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Posted by Cody Swartz

The oldest and wisest twin. Decade-plus Eagles writer. 2/4/18 Super Bowl champs. Sabermetrics lover. Always ranking QBs. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5).