A Look Back at Eagles Ex Carson Wentz, QB Class of 2016 as Jared Goff Signs Big Deal With Lions
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PHILADELPHIA – The 1-2 punch works in boxing. In the NFL when it comes to drafting quarterbacks first and second overall, not so much.
The Philadelphia Eagles learned that lesson the hard way when they had the second swing and selected Carson Wentz.
The first punch was delivered by the Los Angeles Rams when they picked Jared Goff, who just got the third contract of his career, and it was a whopper. Traded to the Detroit Lions four years ago, Goff signed a new four-year deal worth a reported $212 million with $170M guaranteed.
Wentz is on his fifth team after signing a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $3.3M and $2.2M guaranteed.
Quite a difference to say the least.
Carson Wentz
USA Today
In addition to 2016, here is the history of QBs going 1-2 in the draft:
1971
No. 1 - Jim Plunkett, Boston Patriots
No. 2 - Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints
1993
No. 1 - Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots
No. 2 - Rick Mirer, Seattle Seahawks
1998
No. 1 - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
No. 2 Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers
1999
No. 1 - Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns
No. 2 - Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
2012
No. 1 - Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
No. 2 - Robert Griffin III, Washington
2015
No. 1 - Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 2 - Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
2021
No. 1 - Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 2 - Zach Wilson, New York Jets
2023
No. 1 - Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
No. 2 - C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
2024
No. 1 - Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
No. 2 – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
As for Wentz, his career has taken a sharp left turn, but he wasn’t a total wash in Philly. He will always have 2017 when he played like the league MVP until he tore two knee ligaments late in the season. Still, he put the Eagles in position to earn the No. 1 seed which they rode to their Super Bowl championship.
There were 15 quarterbacks taken in the 2016 draft. Paxton Lynch joined Goff and Wentz in the first round, after being taken 26th overall by the Denver Broncos. He washed out of the league after two years and five games.
Here are the rest:
Second round
Christian Hackenberg, New York Jets. He never played a game.
Third round
Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots. On his fifth team and is 18-30 as a starter.
Cody Kessler, Cleveland Browns. He lasted three years and went 2-10.
Fourth round
Connor Cook, Oakland Raiders. Played one year and one game.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys. Perhaps the best quarterback taken in this draft.
Cardale Jones, Buffalo Bills. Played one year and one game.
Fifth round
Kevin Hogan, Kansas City Chiefs. Played three years and nine games.
Sixth round
Nate Sudfeld, Washington Commanders; Jake Rudock, Lions; Brandon Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars; Jeff Driskell, San Francisco 49ers.
Note: The only notable name is Sudfeld who spent three years with the Eagles and made it into four games before moving on to Detroit, where he played two games with the Lions.
Seventh round
Brandon Dougherty, Miami Dolphins.
