It’s been one of the heavily touted NFL Draft screw ups of recent history when the Philadelphia Eagles selected receiver Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson in 2020. And now, the Minnesota Vikings will have both Reagor and Jefferson on their roster.
On Wednesday, the Eagles agreed to a deal which sends Reagor to the Vikings for two upcoming draft picks. The Eagles receive a 2023 7th-round pick and a 2024 4th-round pick that can become a 5th-round pick depending on statistical marks.
Reagor joins a Vikings wide receiver room which includes Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn and tight end Irv Smith. Will the trade impact them? Here’s what our experts say.
Fantasy Football Ramifications of Jalen Reagor Trade
Per our Stokastic Fantasy Football cheat sheet, Jalen Reagor was not one of the top 60 players on our list of top receivers, but perhaps the deal paves the way for other Eagles receivers to have more opportunity.
After acquiring AJ Brown in the offseason, the Eagles appear to have a true 1-2 punch at the receiver position with Brown and DeVonta Smith, and both will be highly sought-after in any fantasy football draft. But perhaps pulling the plug on Reagor presents an interesting opportunity for 2020 sixth rounder, Quez Watkins.
Last season, Watkins had 43 receptions for 647 yards and a touchdown after being seldomly-used during his rookie season.
“I’ve got a whole lot more work I want to do, but I feel like I’m a whole lot better than I was last year. I feel like I’m more complete than I was last year,” Watkins said during Training Camp. “My routes, being able to get in and out of my breaks, me being able to win at the line of scrimmage, me being able to win downfield — I feel like I’m more versatile this year.”
As for where Jalen Reagor fits into the Vikings offense? Time will tell.
“Reagor falls in the WR85-100 range for me,” Stokastic fantasy football expert Matt Savoca said. “The real question is does this take enough opportunity away from Osborn and Smith to remove them from fantasy relevancy? Many were taking flyers on them in hopes that Minnesota adopted a Rams-esque offense under Kevin O’Connell.”
Find more rankings, analysis and draft kits from Stokastic’s fantasy football experts here.
Regardless of how the Vikings try to unlock Reagor’s potential, he’ll likely welcome the change of scenery following the tumultuous tenure in Philly.
As last season was finishing, Justin Jefferson showed some remorse for his new teammate, recognizing that he’ll always be linked to Jalen Reagor following the 2020 NFL Draft.
“I hate it for him. He didn’t ask for this, being compared to me all the time.”
