Eagles Draft: Meet Rookie WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
With the 57th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside out of Stanford. Arcega-Whiteside was second-team All-Pac 12 in 2018 and finished with the second-most receiving touchdowns in Stanford history.
Similar to the 53rd pick, the Eagles had plenty of options with this selection, including a number of quality defensive players. Instead, the Eagles decided to bolster the arsenal for Carson Wentz even more and added Arcega-Whiteside.
In 2018, Arcega-Whiteside finished with 63 receptions for 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns. At 6’3 and 225 pounds, Arcega-Whiteside is a big body receiver who poses his biggest threat when in the red zone. In this years draft class, Arcega-Whiteside finished first in the following categories among wide receivers: receptions on third and fourth down, red-zone receptions, and contested catches.
At his pro day, Arcega-Whiteside ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, which adds a bit of explosiveness to his already-dynamic skillset. Arcega-Whiteside also frequently drew pass interference calls to opposing cornerbacks due to his size. Not only is Arcega-Whiteside a physical receiver, but his size and speed also give him potential on special teams if the Eagles want to use him in that role as well.
In the Eagles offense, Arcega-Whiteside adds even more size to what could now be a prolific attack in the red-zone. Alongside the rookie, Alshon Jeffery is 6’3, Dallas Goedert is 6’4, and Zach Ertz is 6’5. It is unprecedented for defenses to have to cover so many big-bodied targets in the passing game so Wentz will be licking his chops every time the offense is inside the 20-yard line. The attack becomes even more dangerous with Jordan Howard in the fold out of the backfield.
Similarly to the Eagles drafting Andre Dillard with the 22nd pick and Miles Sanders with the 53rd pick, it is a surprise Arcega-Whiteside fell this far in the draft. Arcega-Whiteside was widely viewed as a late first rounder or early second rounder, so this pick fills both values and needs here.
After the Eagles made the selection, Ertz and Wentz both reportedly reached out to Arcega-Whiteside. Ertz and Arcega-Whiteside have a previous relationship, and he also shares the same agent with Wentz.
Shortly after the selection, Howie Roseman said he was enamored with Arcega-Whiteside’s strength, and believes he has the ability to play both inside and outside. It is worth noting that 58 of Arcega-Whiteside’s 63 catches in 2018 came on the outside, but his athleticism should allow him to play a role on the inside if that’s how the Eagles want to use him. Furthermore, Roseman says that Arcega-Whiteside is exactly the type of player the Eagles want.
“West Coast guys who play late get a little underrated because people aren’t watching those West Coast games,” Roseman said. “But this guy is a baller. When our fans get to know him, they’re going to love him. He symbolizes Eagles football.”
With the addition of Arcega-Whiteside, the future of Nelson Agholor in Philadelphia had come into question. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Eagles had been listening to offers on Agholor and he could be on the move. Roseman cooled down the rumors a bit, assuring that Agholor has a future with the Eagles.
“Nelson is an important part of what we do,” Roseman said.
The Eagles did have some options at slot receiver with pick 57, including Ohio State’s Parris Campbell and Missouri’s Emanuel Hall. Instead, they went with an outside receiver, which should be even more of a sign that they plan on keeping Agholor, despite him entering the final year of his contract.
For Arcega-Whiteside, football is something that brings him joy, and that joy is sure to continue as he begins his NFL career.
“Football is the ultimate team sport. There’s not a sport like it in the world. Football unifies people. You can’t tell me that you go to a Sunday night to a stadium and it’s full of people in that city and the opposing team’s city,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “That’s what sports bring in general, but in football, there’s no better feeling than scoring a touchdown or springing your running back for a touchdown by making a block down the field. There’s nothing like it. It’s hard to describe that feeling because it’s so blissful. It’s amazing. Honestly, I don’t feel like I’d be able to live normally without playing football every day, just waking up and being excited about playing football.”
The selection of Arcega-Whiteside rounded out what was a surprise for the Eagles first three picks: three offensive players, zero defensive players. It’s all about Carson Wentz, and the addition of Arcega-Whiteside is a great one in ensure Wentz succeeds.
Here is how some of us at Eagles Nation graded this pick…
Logan Banker, Eagles Nation Blogger
As I just mentioned, the success starts with Carson Wentz, and this selection is one more step to making sure the success happens. It’s an interesting fit, but Arcega-Whiteside’s size is sure to give defenses fits, especially if he’s lined up with Jeffery and Ertz.
It was a bit of a shock the Eagles didn’t select one of the safeties still available though, especially considering how frequently they use three-safety sets and the depth needed at that position. The Eagles did a ton of scouting on safety prospects, so unless they didn’t like what they saw, it is a little odd they decided to wait until Day 3 to address this (if they do at all).
It’s hard to complain much about this pick, though, since Arcega-Whiteside will give such a boost to the offense. It will be interesting to see if this affects the fate of Agholor, but this selection adds some much-needed depth at the wide receiver position.
Grade: B
Matt Modi, Eagles Nation Blogger
Another pick, another offensive weapon for Wentz. In the first round, they picked his future blindside protector in Andre Dillard, then, at pick 53, they selected RB Miles Anders, and now, at pick 57, they chose wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside.
While the Eagles are currently loaded at receiver with DeSean Jackson (age 32), Alshon Jeffery (29), and Nelson Agholor (last year of his deal), they did need to get younger at this position. JJ is considered an Alshon clone, as he uses his body well and does an excellent job high pointing the ball in the air. The Eagles had the option of selecting speedster Parris Campbell out of Ohio State, but they chose to go with the 6’2 JJ, who is no slouch athletically himself as he ran a 4.49 at his Stanford pro-day.
Personally, I would have preferred the Eagles go defense here after going offense with their first two picks, but it is hard to argue wit giving their crown jewel quarterback as many weapons as possible.
Grade: B-
Matt Lupi, Eagles Nation Twitter & Blogger
Arcega-Whiteside is a solid receiver that can handle the outside role in the future but does not give the Eagles the speed that they were looking for.
Grade: B
Photo: Kelvin Kuo/USA Today Sports
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Categorized:Eagles