NFL Draft Rumors: “Insiders believe Eagles will make an effort to add an impact wide receiver”

Here’s an interesting Philadelphia Eagles tidbit I recently stumbled upon in a Lance Zierlein piece about team needs in the 2018 NFL Draft. Bold emphasis is mine.

Insiders believe the Eagles will make an effort to add an impact WR in the draft this year. The Eagles re-signed Nigel Bradham, but Jordan Hicks has struggled with injuries, so the Eagles should be looking to at least add depth at LB. The departure of Trey Burton opens up a spot for a combination tight end via the draft. While trading for Jay Ajayi strengthened the RB spot, there is room for more depth at the position.

“Insiders” is a vague term here, but Zierlein has a strong track record when it come to the Eagles. He was all over Philadelphia’s interest in Carson Wentz before anyone else back in 2016.

Assuming this rumor is true, wide receiver is very much in play at No. 32 overall. The Eagles don’t have any Day 2 picks, as we constantly remind ourselves, so that’s their most likely avenue to acquiring an “impact wide receiver” in this year’s draft.

Who could that player be? Well, that’s a good question. This year’s wide receiver class is an interesting one. There hardly seems to be a consensus when it comes to ranking the top players at the position. Some draft analysts have deemed no receiver is even worthy of a first-round selection.

If we’re trying to come with up with potential targets, some names to consider include: Calvin Riley, Courtland Sutton, D.J. Moore, Christian Kirk, James Washington, D.J. Chark, and Dante Pettis. BGN’s Ben Natan profiled this year’s receiver class earlier this year.

After trading Torrey Smith, one would think the Eagles will be targeting a receiver who can stretch the field. I think they’d also be looking for a guy with returner potential as well.

This rumor could indicate the Eagles aren’t super high on Mack Hollins and/or Shelton Gibson as sure-fire replacements for Smith. I wouldn’t say that means the Birds are down on these players. It’s just that they’re not going to solely rely on their Day 3 picks from the 2017 NFL Draft to become starters. The Eagles could be looking to add competition and hedge their bets.

As with any NFL Draft rumor, you have to take this all with a grain of salt. It’s quite possible the Eagles covet a certain receiver who won’t even make it to their pick. It’s also possible they’re leaking information in order to throw teams off their track. It is #smokescreen season, after all.