The Philadelphia Eagles are always in the business of developing quarterback talent for the purpose of turning a talented signal-caller into compensation.
With Nate Sudfeld a free agent and Josh McCown possibly retiring again, the Eagles could look towards the draft for another quarterback after 2019 fifth-round pick, Clayton Thorson never materialized.
Here are five quarterbacks for the Eagles to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine:
***
1. Jalen Hurts — Oklahoma
Hurts is not your typical drop-back passer, but in today’s NFL, he doesn’t have to be. The Eagles use RPO principles similar to what Hurts used at Oklahoma and he has some familiarity with a pro-style offense thanks to his time at Alabama.
During his final season of college football, at Oklahoma, Hurts led the Sooners to the Big 12 title and a playoff appearance while earning third-team Associated Press All-American, Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, and first-team all-conference honors.
Hurts completed 69.7 percent of his passes for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 14 starts.
Hurts is a playmaker but needs to improve his anticipation and accuracy.
2. Kevin Davidson — Princeton
6′ 4″
224 lbs
30 7/8” arms
8 1/4” hands
During his final season at Princeton, Davidson earned honorable mention All-Ivy League after leading Princeton to an 8-2 record while completing 209-of-313 passes (66.8 percent) for 2,569 yards and 20 touchdowns with just six interceptions.
Pocket passer with good size, all-day accuracy and the potential to become a full-field reader in a pro-style passing attack. Davidson only started one season and fell off a little in November, but his pocket poise and downfield touch are traits that are tough to teach. He’s a timing-based passer who lacks the mobility to extend plays. If he can improve his velocity into tight-window throws, he has a decent chance of making the jump as an NFL backup. NFL.com
3. Shea Patterson — Michigan
Patterson knows the game and can be versatile since he worked with four different offensive coordinators during his time at Ole Miss and his final two seasons in Ann Arbor.
Patterson went 19-7 in two seasons as a starter for Michigan, and during the 2019 season, he topped 300 yards passing in each of his final three regular-season games as well.
Patterson was named to the All-Big Ten offensive third-team by both the coaches and media, while ending his final collegiate season with 3,061 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, becoming the third quarterback in program history to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season after John Navarre (3,331 yards in 2003) and Jake Rudock (3,017 yards in 2015).
4. Brian Lewerke — Michigan State
A solid quarterback with nice size, Lewerke was inconsistent in 13 starts as a senior, completing 260 of 436 passes with a 59.6 completion rate for 3,079 yards, 17 TDs with 13 INTs.
He looks the part as a signal-caller but will slide in the draft thanks to his inconsistent play.
5. Kelly Bryant — Missouri
A former starter at Clemson before losing his job to Trevor Lawrence, Bryant started 10 games for Missouri, playing through injuries to complete 62 percent of his passes (181 of 292) for 2,215 yards and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions.
An athletic signal-caller, Bryant has good size and fits into the dual-threat mode, where the Eagles could target him as an undrafted free agent.
