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From 1998-2003, 22 wide receivers were taken in the first round, 11 of them are already out of football, and only three are still with the same team that drafted them.
While all of them(the 7 pro bowlers) have been good picks for their teams, consider that Johnson, Fitzgerald and Williams have yet to play in a playoff game for the Texans, Cardinals and Lions, or have even come close.
While Eckel's numbers are certainly compelling, it would have been interesting to see the contrast between the boom/bust ratio of the WR position versus other positions.
Basically though, I hate the idea of "rules" in a draft which is Eckel is trying to create. Just because a bunch of other WRs busted doesn't mean you should be scared of picking one early. It all comes down to a team doing it's due diligence. The Eagles employ an army of scouts and pay guy lots of money to study film of these guys. If there's a WR on the board at #19 that they love and think is going to be a player there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't take him. The fact that most 1st WRs over the past 10 years didn't become pro bowlers has no bearing on the kid you really like.
If the Eagles scouts don't think any of these guys are worthy of a first round pick, so be it. They should trust their evaluation... not the success(or lack thereof) of the position in the past.