With the 20th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected USC Trojans wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Agholor is one of the more underrated players in the draft because he is part of a tremendous receivers crop. Still, the USC star has been a top performer in the Pac-12 for the past two seasons.
NFL Draft picks 2015: Nelson Agholor selected by Eagles
Agholor has been under the radar throughout the draft process, but could prove to be a quality receiver at the next level.
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Agholor, 6’0 and 198 pounds, spent three seasons with the Trojans. During that time he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2014 and second-team All-Pac-12 accolades in 2013. After recording 56 catches for 918 yards and six touchdowns in his sophomore season, Agholor exploded last year for 104 receptions, 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns. During a four-game stretch in October and November, Agholor had four consecutive games of at least 110 yards, including two of more than 200 yards, all against Pac-12 opponents.
Agholor ran at the NFL Combine in February and clocked an impressive 4.42 40-yard dash time. However, an anonymous NFC South scout does not believe Agholor's time translates to the field, per NFL.com:
“Right off the bat, his draft value has a ceiling because he’s a slot receiver. At least that is how I see it. I don’t think he has the speed to get open outside. He’s a good value in the middle rounds, though, because of his return-game potential.”
Agholor’s biggest strength is his route-running ability. His long strides and quick cuts make him a tough cover for any corner, and in the slot he would almost always have a size advantage. If he lines up on the outside, Agholor will need to improve against press coverage, something which most rookies struggle against.
The Eagles were quiet early on after trade rumors swirled that Chip Kelly might was looking to move up. Instead, Philadelphia used its pick to fill the void left by Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles' leading pass catcher from a season ago. The team ranked sixth in passing yards in 2014.
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