After the Philadelphia Eaglespulled off a draft-night trade to select Vanderbilt wide receiver Jordan Matthews in the second round, high-fives were exchanged in the team's war room.
Coach Chip Kelly immediately projected Matthews as the primarily slot receiver, alongside Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper.
After a few weeks of offseason practices, it appears the Eagles got a steal when the rest of the league allowed the SEC's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards to fall into Kelly's lap:
That's just the latest in a string ofMatthews praise since OTAs opened.
Should we be surprised that a rookie is already outplaying established veterans in non-contact drills?
The Eagles' clear-cut No. 1 receiver from 2013 is now toiling in the nation's capital. Maclin is returning from ACL surgery; Cooper has just one quality season under his belt.
A maniacal worker and film junkie like cousin Jerry Rice, Matthews boasts the size (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), production, standout measurables (4.46 forty, 10-foot broad jump) and intelligence (29 Wonderlic score) to make an instant impact in Philadelphia.
He now has our attention on the way-too-early Offensive Rookie of the Year watch.
*The end to the latest Around The League Podcast is full of shock and awe. *
