The Philadelphia Eagles released DeSean Jackson amid some controversy this offseason and now that he is signed to the Washington Redskins as a free agent, Chip Kelly and the team could look for a WR in the upcoming draft and names like Mike Evans, Marqise Lee, Cody Latimer, Kelvin Benjamin and Brandin Cooks could be options for the franchise.
The Eagles pick in the second half of the first round this season after making the playoffs at number 22 overall and that likely puts them out of the Mike Evans race unless Kelly wants to trade up. Most teams rate Evans as the second wide receiver in the draft behind Sammy Watkins and he could sneak into the top 10, while teams like the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and NY Jets have all had reported interest in the wideout from Texas A&M. Evans had another productive season with Johnny Manziel and he had nearly 70 receptions and averaged 20 yards per catch while going for over 1,300 yards during the season.
Evans could be a good option to replace the explosive Jackson, but since he is likely out of reach the Eagles have looked at some other names and one that keeps coming up is Latimer. The Seattle Seahawks had reported interest in the Indiana receiver, while ESPN.com blogger Andy Janser writes that Kelly has had an eye on Latimer and that he could be a fit for the Eagles in the draft. Last season Latimer was very good with 72 catches for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns and his three year career he has been very productive with the Hoosiers, going for 135 catches, 2,042 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Latimer should be available when the Eagles pick at number 22, but he is also visiting with the Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and New York Giants according to ESPN.com. Latimer has very explosive speed after putting up a sub 4.40 40-yard dash and that could be key for Kelly in replacing Jackson, while Evans also has above average speed coming out of the draft. The Eagles will need to replace the production from Jackson, who had his best season with 82 receptions, 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns and after bringing back Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin, Kelly likely needs to add at least one receiver in the draft.
The Eagles held a workout with Evans already and they could look to have multiple workouts with other receivers as the draft gets closer. Kelvin Benjamin is a name that continues to move up on draft boards and this comes after he had the winning touchdown catch against Auburn in the national title game and after running a very good 40-yard dash, many teams have him on their radars. Benjamin has size at 6-foot-5 and he snagged 15 touchdowns last season with over 50 catches and 1011 yards.
Kelly is hoping that Darren Sproles can make up for some of the production that was lost with Jackson and while he won't be able to make up for his loss at wide receiver, adding a rookie to the mix can help as well. Kelly and the Eagles had the number one rushing offense last season and adding Sproles should keep that going.
