Carson Wentz automatically came to mind for the Philadelphia Eagles when they traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. It was obvious that they were looking for a quarterback and they got their man.
It may not have been a popular decision among the Eagles’ fan base to trade up due to the price tag that it came with. Philadelphia paid a lot to get Wentz, but there is no question that the Eagles made the right choice. Franchise quarterbacks don’t come around too often, but Wentz certainly has the potential to be that type of a player.
Philadelphia dealt with a rough season from Sam Bradford last season, but still gave him a contract extension this offseason. They weren’t sure that they would be able to bring one of the top quarterbacks in the 2016 draft class in. Now, Bradford could be placed on the trade block for more assets and the veteran quarterback has already asked for a trade .
Welcome to Philadelphia, @cj_wentz ! #EaglesDraft pic.twitter.com/oGkiZgUEdw
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 29, 2016
Last season with the North Dakota State Bison , Wentz flew up draft boards with the production that he showed. He completed 62.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,651 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Those numbers may not be as flashy as other quarterback prospects have had, but he showed off an excellent all-around arm and the ability to read defenses from the line of scrimmage.
Standing in at six-feet, six-inches, and 235 pounds, Wentz is the ideal size for a rookie NFL quarterback. He is going to be very durable and has the athleticism to make plays outside of the pocket as well.
Wentz is going to prove the Eagles right for being aggressive and moving up in the draft to select him at No. 2.
Over the past few seasons, the Eagles simply haven’t been viewed as serious playoff contenders. They have been extremely inconsistent, although some of that had to do with the way that head coach Chip Kelly was running the team. Now that the Eagles have a new head coach in Doug Pederson, they have to feel much more confident in bringing in a young quarterback.
Pederson is going to take Wentz under his wing and show him the ropes in the NFL. Learning from a head coach who was once an NFL quarterback is going to give Wentz a head start on most other rookie quarterbacks.
Looking ahead at the upcoming 2016 NFL season, Eagles fans should be very excited. They may not win the NFC East this season, but drafting Wentz is a big step in the right direction towards being a serious contender for years to come. There is still damage done by Kelly to be fixed, but Wentz is the type of guy that the Eagles can build around.
There are going to be quite a few fans who are frustrated with this selection. Those fans need to watch some tape of Wentz and see the power and accuracy of his arm. Philadelphia has some weapons for Wentz to use and there is no question that he will be in the running to be the best offensive rookie in the league.
Expect to see Philadelphia look back on this selection in a few years with a big smile on their face. Fans will begin to come around to Wentz when they see him out on the field this season and it won’t take long for him to show why the Eagles felt so comfortable giving up so much to get him.
Do you think the Philadelphia Eagles made the right choice to draft North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz? What do you think his NFL future holds? Let us know in the comment box below!
[AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast]
