If one was to count Jalen Hurts toward Alabama, then Nick Saban placed 10 student-athletes into the NFL Draft.
Hurts was the shock of the group, as the Philadelphia Eagles selected him at No. 53 overall in the second round. Despite having Carson Wentz and paying him a four-year extension worth $128 million ($107 million guaranteed), the Eagles still drafted Hurts.
For the city of brotherly love, residents of Philadelphia and fans of the team have mixed emotions. While they respect what Hurts did at both Alabama and Oklahoma, Wentz is the quarterback of whom the franchise took in 2016 and he has Super Bowl-winning potential.
National media has even jumped into the mix, bashing the Eagles for its pick of Hurts.
RELATED: Baltimore Ravens pick up fifth-year option on cornerback, Marlon Humphrey
In its defense, Wentz has dealt with injuries in three of four regular seasons.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee late in the 2017 season, and it allowed for Nick Foles to carry the Eagles into the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Wentz missed two games in 2018 – due to recovering from the ACL tear – but he returned to being the starter.
A back injury would sideline him again, and Foles guided the team into the playoffs.
Even last season, Wentz left the NFC Wild Card game versus the Seattle Seahawks with a head injury and the Eagles suffered a 17-9 loss.
As good as he is, getting Hurts was an insurance policy for Philadelphia in moving forward with Wentz.
Hopefully he can stay healthy, but Hurts does have the capability to step in and provide fireworks offensively if needed.
On Monday, yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine recapped rounds two through seven of the draft for Crimson Tide players and dove into the Eagles’ move to take Hurts on In My Own Words.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
