“One of the great leaders in this draft” - When Howie Roseman made feelings known after drafting Jalen Hurts in 2020

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has become a star, leading the Eagles to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. Under his leadership, the Eagles have been one of the dominant teams in the NFC, reaching two Super Bowls since he was drafted.

During an appearance on 94WIP in April 2020, general manager Howie Roseman praised Hurts while explaining the reasoning behind the Eagles' decision to draft him.

“I don’t want to get lost in the fact that Jalen Hurts is an Eagle," Roseman said. "And, he’s ours. And this is one of the great college football players of the past four years. This is one of the great character guys, in this draft. This is one of the great leaders, in this draft. This is an asset to any football team.”

Hurts played for the Oklahoma Sooners, passing for 3,851 yards with a 69.7% completion rate and 32 touchdowns.

Although these numbers were solid for a passer, Hurts was best known for his rushing ability. He ran for 1,298 yards on 233 carries, scoring 20 touchdowns. The Eagles selected him with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

“I want our fans to take a minute and just watch that guy, and see that this is a talented guy that we added to our football team," Roseman added. "It’s okay, you can be upset at me and the round resources, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.”

Jalen Hurts replaces Carson Wentz as starting quarterback

Roseman and coach Doug Pederson had a plan for Jalen Hurts, eager to utilize his explosive rushing ability to bolster the offense. However, Pederson wanted to bring him along gradually.

“Obviously, Jalen is still learning," Pederson said in August 2020. "Jalen, he’s doing some really good things for us. Again, like I mentioned, he’s learning our system, and he’s another one, one of our young players that’s learning the game a little bit.”

After the arrival of Hurts, Carson Wentz remained the starting quarterback for the 2020 season. However, the Eagles were already planning to move on from Wentz, despite the heavy investment they made in him during the 2016 draft.

Aware that his time in Philadelphia was running out, Wentz was eventually traded to the Indianapolis Colts, paving the way for Jalen Hurts to take full charge as the Eagles’ starting quarterback.