The Future Is So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades

This post isn’t solely going to focus on the rookies but I really find this interesting so I’ll start off with this: 

With the Eagles promotion of Jeff Owens and Jamar Wall, the Eagles will have 14 rookies on the roster and 16 players who have seen their first NFL action this year. This brings the total up to 18 players who have seen their first NFL action ever on the Eagles this season.

Here is a list of them:

Brandon Graham

Nate Allen

Daniel Te’o-Neshiem

Mike Kafka

Trevard Lindley

Clay Harbor

Keenan Clayton

Riley Cooper

Jorrick Calvin

Jamar Chaney

Jeff Owens

Kurt Coleman

Austin Howard

Jamar Wall

Colt Anderson

Chad Hall

Joique Bell

Brandon Hughes

Now THAT is some rookie draft class. And Ricky Sapp is still on his way. Incredible really. This team is already good enough to compete for a bye week and nearly one third of the roster is made up of rookies and first year players. The Eagles are the third youngest team in football and they’re already competing for a #2 seed in the playoffs. That’s a credit to the maturity of the young players, the scouting department, coaching staff and leadership on this football team. And this isn’t like last year, the Eagles are beating winning teams, teams that are probably going to make the playoffs as well.

I repeat, the Eagles are the third youngest team in the NFL and they’re also tied for the second best record in the NFL at 10-4. Wow.

But now that I got that incredible fact out there, lets move on to some of this team’s best players: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy.

DeSean Jackson:

At 24 years old, he is already one of the brightest stars in the NFL, the face of the Eagles’ franchise and one of the best big play threats in the history of the NFL.

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Only three players in NFL history have ever had more receiving yards before their 24th birthday – Randy Moss (4,765), David Boston (3,227) and Larry Fitzgerald (3,135).

Jackson’s 174 receptions are eighth-most in history among those 23 and younger, behind Moss (254), Fitzgerald (230), Reggie Bush (223), David Boston (209), Jason Witten (192), Isaac Bruce (190) and Koren Robinson (189).

Only Moss (50), Fitzgerald (24) and Bruce (18) have had more touchdowns before turning 24 than Jackson.

Jackson’s 17.1 receiving average before turning 24 is the second-highest on record by a player 23 years old or younger, trailing only Moss’s 18.8 mark.

Jackson’s 12 all-purpose touchdowns of 50 yards or more are second-most ever by a player under 24, behind only Moss’s 15.

Jackson is one of eight players in NFL history to have topped 900 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons.

 Despite only playing 3 seasons, he already holds the franchise record for most punts returned for touchdowns.

 Is only the second player in NFL history to have scored a touchdown three different ways in NFL history (Receiving, Rushing, Returning).

 Is the first WR in NFL history to have scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in each of his first three seasons since Jerry Rice.

 Jackson’s 18.3 yards per catch in his first three seasons ranks fourth all time behind Bob Hayes (20.3), Charlie Hennigan (18.5) and Randy Moss (18.4).

 Since entering the NFL, DeSean Jackson leads the NFL in touchdowns of at least 50 yards with 14.

 He averages 47.2 yards per touchdown in his career.

Jeremy Maclin:

DeSean Jackson is one spectacular player, but there is another player on the Eagles who is on pace to smash all of DeSean Jackson’s pre-24th birthday records, Jeremy Maclin. At 22 years old, he is already one of the best receivers in the NFL.

Among those 22 and under, Maclin ranks fifth all-time with 1,652 yards, 11th with 119 receptions and third with 14 touchdowns. (Not including postseason numbers). 

Maclin was only the 12th rookie to have a 100-yard receiving game in the playoffs, and his 146 yards broke the rookie record.

In NFL history, only Randy Moss had more yards (regular season and playoff) before his 22nd birthday than Maclin.

He was the seventh player in NFL history – and the second Eagle in two years – to surpass 750 receiving yards before his 22nd birthday.

Maclin already has three career games with 140 or more receiving yards, and in NFL history only Randy Moss has had more before his 23rd birthday.

At age 22 he became one of 4 players in Eagles history to score 10 or more touchdowns in a season.

He is one of four players all time to have scored 10 touchdowns before his 23rd birthday, he joins Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and Hakeem Nicks.

LeSean McCoy:

With 2532 yards from scrimmage he is top 10 all time in all-purpose yards before their 23rd birthday. He passed Walter Payton 2 weeks ago.

 If LeSean McCoy can get 268 yards from scrimmage over the next two games he will only be the 7th player ever to get at least 2800 yards from scrimmage before their 23rd birthday, joining the likes of Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Barry Sanders, Jerome Bettis and Marshall Faulk.

 LeSean McCoy has the most rushing yards in his first two seasons in the history of the Eagles franchise.

 LeSean McCoy has the most yards from scrimmage in his first two seasons in the history of the Eagles franchise.

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Boys, the future is so bright, you’re going to need to grab some shades.

Third youngest roster in the NFL. Three of the best young players in the history of the NFL. Already a Superbowl contender. How does that sound? Sounds awful good to me.