Be it selecting eventual Super Bowl-winning MVP Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 Draft or seamlessly grooming Cam Jurgens as Jason Kelce’s successor in 2022, Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman has been exceptional with his draft picks and trades over the past five years. Case in point: they also landed Cooper DeJean in the second round last year, whose pick-six helped the Eagles build a solid lead in the Super Bowl.
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However, amidst these top-class picks by Roseman lies a blunder that barely anyone talks about. The error in question? When the Eagles picked Jalen Reagor, a speedy but inconsistent wideout from TCU, as their 21st pick over Justin Jefferson.
Back in 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL held its first-ever virtual draft. All front offices were huddled on video calls, but among the multiple camera angles and feeds, the highlight of the night came from the Minnesota Vikings’ digital war room, where a moment of pure disbelief and joy played out in real time.
That moment? The Philadelphia Eagles—on the clock at pick No. 21—had just passed on LSU’s Justin Jefferson, a receiver who had torched college defenses for two straight years. Instead, they went with Jalen Reagor. As soon as the pick was made official, the reaction from Minnesota’s executives said it all.
“Get Justin Jefferson on the clock right now,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman blurted, barely hiding his glee. Head coach Mike Zimmer smiled as others on the call laughed, grinned, and exchanged looks of “Are they serious?” Evidently, they weren’t just celebrating a pick. They were celebrating a gift.
THROWBACK: THE #VIKINGS FRONT OFFICE LAUGHING ON CAMERA AT THE #EAGLES FOR PICKING JALEN REAGOR AND LEAVING THEM WITH JUSTIN JEFFERSON
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 23, 2025
In hindsight, this blunder by the Eagles gets even worse when one realizes that Justin Jefferson wasn’t even the first receiver off the board in 2020. He wasn’t the second. Or third. Or fourth. He was the fifth, behind Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and—most painfully for Philly—Jalen Reagor.
The decision gets even stranger considering Jefferson edged past Reagor on a statistical level as well, as the Tigers star had done more in fewer years than his counterpart: 2,415 receiving yards, 24 touchdowns in just two seasons at LSU, and a starring role on the national title-winning 2019 team.
Years later, the Eagles cohort justified their Reagor pick by noting that they were looking for a speed receiver to stretch the field and not for a slot receiver like Justin Jefferson, who, in their eye, wasn’t athletic enough to serve their tactical needs. While this seems like a sound theory on paper, Jefferson defied all expectations by setting the league on fire in the past few years.
Since getting drafted, the Vikings star has been a four-time Pro Bowler, Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, and became the youngest player to lead the NFL in receptions in a season while having the most receiving yards through a player’s first five seasons in NFL history.
Jalen Reagor, on the other hand, lasted just two seasons in Philly before being traded to—yes—the Vikings. After a forgettable stint there, he landed briefly in New England and is now with the Chargers.
That said, the biggest takeaway from this fiasco is that the NFL world got a piece of Draft folklore that fans love to revisit every April. Moreover, the Minnesota Vikings gained a franchise icon, while the rest of us got one of the most iconic draft night moments ever.
