Over the Next Two Months, Jacob Harris Will Attempt to Make A Roster With the Deepest Wide Receiver Room in All of the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a position opening. It’s a need that if filled, could take the Eagles offense from elite to unstoppable. For the lucky receiver who gets the job, it’s a sea of boundless opportunity to make plays.
That’s because it is headlined by the NFL’s best receiving duo in the NFL in Devonta Smith and AJ Brown, both of which combined for 187 receptions, almost 2,600 yards, and fourteen touchdowns in 2023–2024. On the second stage, the Eagles aerial attack throws All-Pro Tight End Dallas Goedert and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley out of the backfield at you, taxing your secondary and linebackers.
In short — good luck selecting which options to take away when playing the Eagles. And when they do stretch your defense to take away all of these potential options — the underneath receiver should feast on single coverage. Unfortunately — the carousel of Devante Parker’s retirement last month, Quez Watkins departure to Pittsburgh, and the addition AJ Brown’s mentor Julio Jones — could not provide a reliable third receiver option for the Eagles passing assault.
Enter Jacob Harris.
Not long after the frigid January shadow of a spiritless loss in Tampa Bay in the 2024 NFC Wildcard Playoffs was finally behind Philadelphia, the Eagles started making moves to better position themselves for the 2025 season.
In the final days of January 2024, they signed a former world champion to their wide receiver room. You may not be familiar with the name of Jacob Harris. You may be very soon.
You may be flipping back through social media pages among the contract extensions of Devonta Smith and AJ Brown, signing and subsequent retirement of DeVante Parker, signing of former top draft pick John Ross, and selection of rookie wide receivers Ainias Smith and Jonathon Wilson — you may not know his name. You are not alone.
A former D1 recruit for soccer out of Palm Harbor University in High School, Harris was a walk-on a the University of Western Kentucky, and he would eventually transfer to the University of Central Florida Knights Football Team where he ranked as a senior with the 3rd most touchdowns in the AAC.
In 2021, he was drafted by the L.A. Rams with the 141st pick. Ironically, it was his ACL/MCL injury that year that may have opened the door for Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and DeSean Jackson who also joined Sean McVay’s 2021–2022 Rams team that won the Super Bowl.
Converting to a tight end in 2022, Harris joined the Jacksonville Jaguars on the practice squad in 2023. His contract ended at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season. In January of 2024, he was signed by the Eagles to a Reserve/Futures contract.
If the rookie wide receivers need more time to adjust to the speed of the NFL like Ainias Smith or Johnny Wilson — or NFL veterans like John Ross III and Parris Campbell — may yet open the door for an aspiring talent.
A talent like Jacob Harris.
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