A Draft Day Mistake? – Philadelphia Sports Nation

Although a 2016 Eagles Gamble Appears to Be A Loss, A Win Is Still at Hand.

Let’s face it, we’ve all had one of those regrettable days. One that you’d rather forget and included a mistake or two. It happens to all of us.

The Philadelphia Eagles are no exception.

In April of 2016, the Eagles were preparing for a significant NFL Draft under first year Head Coach Doug Pederson. They had secured the second overall pick, and were eyeing a franchise quarterback.

Historically, the Eagles had made some good draft picks over the years. In the late 1980s, Buddy Ryan had used picks to help mold his Gang Green Defense. They had selected Steve Van Buren in 1944, and Chuck Bednarik in 1949 with the first overall selection. Randall Cunningham had been drafted in 1985, and the last time that the Eagles had the second overall pick and went after a quarterback they landed Donovan McNabb out of Syracuse in 1999.

But a franchise steeped in history such as the Eagles had also made terrible draft-day selections over their 90-year existence, even acquiring some players who never even saw the field.

April of 2016 was a chance for the Eagles to take the franchise in a new direction. Philadelphia was doing everything possible to purge itself of the memory of the Chip Kelly regime. And they needed a quarterback.

Andy Reid holdovers were gone. Michael Vick had signed with the Jets in 2014, and Nick Foles had been traded in 2015 to the Rams for compensation that sent Sam Bradford to the Eagles. Bradford was outspoken about his wish to be that franchise QB, and not to trade up for one in 2016.

The 2016 NFL Draft featured two top quarterback options. Jared Goff out of the University of California and Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. Since 1965, no quarterback had been selected from North Dakota State until Wentz.

But the Eagles had locked into Carson as their next franchise quarterback.

They had anticipated that the Rams (also in need of a quarterback) would take Jared Goff with the first overall pick. The Rams didn’t disappoint. The Eagles followed suit selecting Wentz with the #2 selection.

Initially, it looked like Wentz was the hands-down better selection on that night. Goff went 0–7 in his rookie season with the Rams. But he then led the Rams to two 10+ win seasons in Los Angeles. In his third year, the Rams were in the Super Bowl, but lost to New England. In 2021, Goff was traded in a deal that sent him to Detroit and Matthew Stafford went to Los Angeles. The Rams won the Super Bowl a year later.

Photo Courtesy of ESPN.com.

Now, Goff is back in the NFC Championship Game this weekend with an eye on the Super Bowl.

One could say that the 2017–2018 Eagles season that brought the first Championship since 1960 was perhaps, the pinnacle of Wentz’s NFL Career. While it’s true that Nick Foles was the quarterback when the Eagles won the championship, Wentz played that year before his ACL injury in a form that would never return in Philadelphia.

Another injury in 2018 put Foles at the helm once again and in 2019 Wentz was knocked out of a playoff game against the Seahawks and relieved by Josh McCown.

By 2020, Wentz was benched in Philadelphia and wanted a trade. 

He got one.

Photo Courtesy of SI. Special thanks to SI.com

After only one season with Frank Reich and the Colts, he was traded to Washington. After one season with the Commanders, he was released. This year, he joined the Rams and started in one game.

In the end, Los Angeles got both Wentz and Goff. It seems Carson’s best choice for 2024 may be to stay in LA.

Two silver linings for the Eagles. The first is that they got Jalen Hurts.

The second that will always loom for Eagles fans. Would Philadelphia have won Super Bowl LII if Wentz was healthy?