Does This Eagles Player Make Sense for the Giants to "Steal" If They Could?

The Eagles have a loaded roster, but Coach Gene Clemons likes this choice for the first of two "steal a player" picks from the Giants' NFC East rivals.

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Jul 24, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

As we count down to training camp, the Giants Country editorial team went through the rosters of each of the Giants' 2023 regular-season opponents and selected a player that, if the Giants could acquire for the upcoming season, they absolutely should.

Who did we pick from each team? Stay tuned--and yes, for the NFC East teams, we picked two players since the Giants play them twice.

Sep 26, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Philadelphia Eagles helmet sits on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. — Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Hurts, Quarterback

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 223 lbs.
College: Oklahoma | Exp: 3 seasons
Career Stats: 45 GP, 34 GS, 23-11 QBrec, 62.3 Cmp%, 7,906 Yds, 44 TD, 19 Int, 1898 Rush Yds, 26 TD

Last season quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Philadelphia Eagles past the New York Giants in all three matchups on their way to the Super Bowl, where they fell just short of the victory. It was the ending to a season that saw him earn second-team All-Pro honors behind the quarterback of the Super Bowl champions, Patrick Mahomes.

Hurts was also a Pro Bowl selection and finished second in MVP voting. In only 15 games, he had 22 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing touchdowns, both career highs. In fact, over his three-year NFL career, he has taken a leap every season.

After being drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft, Hurts was supposed to be a developmental pick. He wrestled the job away from Carson Wentz during his rookie season, and, despite national skepticism, he never looked back. Hurts is now one of the elite quarterbacks in the league and a difference-maker with the football in his hands.

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Where Would He Fit In?

The Giants' offense is tailor-made for a talent like Hurts. If you look at how Daniel Jones was used in this offense in 2022 and compare it to how Hurts was used in Philadelphia, it was very similar. Hurts' statistics last season looked like what the fully realized potential of Jones could have looked like. The scary part is that Hurts has not realized his full potential, and with a brain trust like what the Giants have, it's fair to wonder if they could have unlocked the full magic of Hurts.

Hurts is not afraid to push the ball down the field as a passer. He can take advantage of the speed on this team at receiver and tight end. He has a knack for sticking the ball in tight windows and does a good job of hitting receivers in stride.

One of the more underrated aspects of his game is his ability to maneuver in the pocket and buy time for receivers to get open. He throws an excellent ball on the run, which helps him fit it into places where only his receivers can get to it. That is important against these teams with stick defensive backs and pass rushers who are big, fast, and relentless.

As a rushing weapon, Hurts is as dangerous as any of the elite runners at the position in the NFL. Pairing him with an elite running back like Saquon Barkley would be an extremely dangerous duo. Both guys can break tackles, shake defenders, and snap off long, back-breaking runs.

What is more impressive is his ability to put the ball in the endzone. As impressive as Jones was running the ball this year, Hurts almost doubled his rushing touchdowns, and he did it over 15 games. He takes the quarterback runs to the next level, he is a wizard with read options, and when the play breaks down, he knows how to make something out of nothing.