Undrafted wideout Allen Hurns breaks out as Jags' upset attempt falls short
The Jaguars' coaches and quarterbacks sang the praises of undrafted rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns all preseason. Anyone who did not listen then probably will now.
Hurns, who averaged 16.6 yards on 14 receptions during the preseason, exploded early in Week 1, posting two touchdowns and 101 yards in the first quarter of Jacksonville's game at Philadelphia, and 110 yards overall, as the Jaguars fell to the Eagles 34-17. QB Chad Henne -- starting over rookie Blake Bortles -- first found Hurns for a 34-yard score, then a little more than two minutes later connected with Hurns again for a 21-yard touchdown. Hurns' third grab of the opening quarter came with Jacksonville backed up to its own 1-yard line as Henne dropped one in to Hurns down the left sideline for 46 yards.
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Jacksonville entered Sunday minus No. 1 receiver Cecil Shorts due to injury, a development that helped open the door for Hurns to see more playing time. He took advantage, just as he did throughout the exhibition slate.
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"We saw it in OTAs -- some of the quarterbacks said they really like him," Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said of Hurns late last month. "They felt like this guy is a diamond in the rough. Just trust us on this. He has some talent. I think the cool thing for him was it was against the 1s. He went out there and performed at that level."
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The Miami (Fla.) product arrived in Jacksonville with far less hype than a pair of fellow rookie receivers: Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, both taken in Round 2 of the 2014 draft. Both players dealt with injuries this preseason, though, hence Hurns' initial bump up the depth chart.
He may have solidified his standing there already thanks to a dominant Week 1 start.
Here's a look at his first touchdown, courtesy of Bleacher Report:
