NFL futures, 2 Philadelphia Eagles bets: Can Jalen Hurts and Philly go all the way?

It certainly doesn't hurt to be surrounded by talent, which Hurts is. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are in the running for one of the best wide receiver combos in the league, and Dallas Goedert is arguably a top-five TE. Then there's the offensive line, the best in football. Just about the entirety of the offense has been retained ahead of 2023, so the expectation is more of the same on this side of the ball.

While RB Miles Sanders is gone, he's been replaced in the aggregate and then some with an intriguing trio of D'Andre Swift, Rashaad Penny and returnee Kenny Gainwell. 

On defense, Philly did lose five starters, namely in the middle of the field with both inside linebackers and both safeties. The safety position has been handled reasonably well, and it helps to have both Darius Slay and James Bradberry back on the outside at corner.

The defensive line nearly set the NFL record for most sacks in a season last year and is once again a strength of this team. Haason Reddick logged 19.5 sacks last season if you include the playoffs, and fellow edge rushers Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham both also recorded 11+ sacks. 

The additions of Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith to the defensive line make the unit all the more menacing, and hopes are high for some of these young players, namely Carter and 2022 first round pick, DT Jordan Davis.

Two futures bets to make on the Philadelphia Eagles

To Win Super Bowl (+800 FD)

Found under "Super Bowl"
This is a bet you have to make unless you despise the Eagles with all your heart. The NFC is so much weaker than the AFC, and in just one year Jalen Hurts has proven to be the top quarterback in the conference. Who's second? Who's third? The dropoff at the sport's most important position is massive in the NFC, and that alone could be enough to like the Eagles to win it all.

But, that alone isn't what makes this team so good. To win in the NFL, you need to have success in the trenches, and there arguably isn't a better team built along both lines than Philadelphia. Their offensive line has two future Hall of Famers in Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson and promising young pieces in Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson. Their defensive line is littered with top-end talent and high-end depth, both of which are important for a team that likes to keep their pass-rushers fresh.

Then you have strong cornerbacks and elite WR play, and this team is covered at all of the most important positions.

The Eagles were very healthy in 2022 and had an easier schedule. That's likely how we see some regression here. Schedule be damned, this is one of the NFL's best teams and they're going to take their fair share of these big games against the likes of the Bills, Chiefs, 49ers and Cowboys. 

Expectations are as high as they can get in Philly, and for good reason. Hitch your wagon to this team as they navigate a far more manageable conference.

Jalen Hurts to win MVP (+1200 FD)

Found under 'Season Awards'

At one point in December of last season, Jalen Hurts was the MVP favorite. He then got hurt and missed two games, and the market shifted back to Patrick Mahomes. All that is to say, Hurts has a viable path to win this award.

At this point in our team futures series I may sound like a broken record, but the AFC is stacked with talented QBs and strong teams. As it pertains to MVP, it's not unrealistic to think that the play of these QBs may cancel themselves out a bit in the AFC. If Mahomes, Allen and Burrow are all having strong seasons but none of their teams have differentiated themselves, it may be easier to turn to the NFC and see the best team's quarterback putting up big stats and give him the award.

In 15 games last year, Hurts threw for 22 touchdowns to six interceptions, rushing for 13 more. He chipped in six more rushing touchdowns in the playoffs and three more through the air for 43 total TDs in 18 games.

He completed nearly 67% of his passes and threw for 3,701 yards, rushing for 760 more. A full 17-game schedule would likely have Hurts exceeding 5,000 total yards of offense, and if he couples that yardage output with 40+ total scores, it's easy to see him winning this award.

Having AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert to throw to, paired with such a strong offensive line, gives Hurts the ammo to do exactly this, and he should be on your shortlist of MVP favorites in 2023.