Philadelphia Eagles

Chip Kelly: Nelson Agholor fits what our model is

Published May. 1, 2015 12:06 p.m. ET

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For those who are familiar with Chip Kelly's offensive scheme, first-round selection Nelson Agholor probably did not come as a surprise to you. The Philadelphia Eagles needed to fill the void at wide receiver left by Jeremy Maclin's departure, and Agholor is the type of wide receiver who can smoothly transition into this role.

At 6-foot and 198 pounds, Agholor ran a blazing 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He can play both outside wide receiver and inside in the slot. He's strong for his size and one of the most laterally explosive wide receivers in the draft. He makes defenders miss in space and can take advantage of horizontal spacing. These are the profiles for wide receivers who go on to excel in Kelly's offense.

Kelly talked about Agholor's fit within the scheme.

"We were really excited, and he was kind of what our model is," Kelly said in his post-draft press conference. "He was the best player that was available for us that fit our system."

As the the Eagles' pick at No. 20 overall got closer, Kelly began to worry about Agholor staying on the board.

"We kind of were afraid and weathering the storm there a little bit from 15 to 20. Was he going to be available, and when he was, we were excited about it."

Agholor's position is still to be determined, but Kelly confirmed that he agrees with most scouts that Agholor can play multiple wide receiver positions at the next level.

"The one thing about Nelson is he's played both. He's played inside receiver, he's played outside receiver. [USC head coach] Steve Sarkisian did a great job of moving him around. He had 104 catches this past year. He lined up everywhere. He lined up in the backfield. Really versatile guy, smart guy, understands the game. So I think in his situation, you could line him up anywhere, and I think he can handle that from a mental standpoint. But we're they're going to play and all that other stuff, we're a ways away. We're still in April, and we've got a lot of time."

Agholor has been compared to Maclin in the past, but Kelly doesn't see as many similarities.

"Size‑wise they are [similar]. I mean, they both have their different strengths. Mac is a little bit different. They're a little bit different, I think. I think Mac is more of an outside receiver: a really good outside, down-the-line receiver. I think Nelson is an inside, outside guy. But I think size‑wise they're almost identical."

Agholor could begin his career on the outside, in the slot, or simply on special teams. Either way, it seems like the Eagles found another wide receiver prospect who can take off in Kelly's offensive scheme.

(h/t Bleeding Green Nation)

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports