June 09, 2015
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
Nelson Agholor has many of the same traits as Denver's Emmanuel Sanders.
A number of you have asked what players the Eagles rookies remind me of so far. We're only a few practices into OTAs at this point in the offseason, and the Eagles haven't run enough team drills to really get a great in-person sense of what they'll be as pros. However, I do have some initial thoughts on players comps. We'll start with Nelson Agholor.
Many people compared Agholor to Jeremy Maclin and Reggie Wayne, but the comparison I like the best is the Broncos' Emmanuel Sanders. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com first made that comparison way back in February.
Agholor and Sanders are both smooth athletes who make hay as excellent route-runners. They possess the toughness to work in high-traffic areas of the field and are also slippery after the catch. Sanders was a draft-day steal by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2010, selected in the third round at No. 82 overall. With a stacked group at wide receiver for the second consecutive draft, Agholor will be a great value pick when he likely comes off the board in Day 2.
Here's Agholor's game against Cal last season in which he had 16 catches for 216 yards and 2 TDs, plus a 78-yard catch and run that was called back on a holding penalty.
And here's Sanders' highlight reel of a year ago, when he caught 101 passes for 1404 yards and 9 TDs for Denver.
Jeremiah is on the money when he notes both players' willingness to work in traffic, and I love the word "slippery" to describe them after the catch.
Agholor and Sanders also have very similar measurables. Here's how each player stacks up from their performances at the Combine:
| NFL Combine | Nelson Agholor | Emmanuel Sanders |
| Height | 6'0 | 5'11 |
| Weight | 198 | 186 |
| Arm length | 32 1/4" | 32" |
| Hand size | 9 1/4" | 9 1/4" |
| 40-yard dash | 4.42 | 4.40 |
| 10-yard dash | 1.53 | 1.49 |
| Bench press | 12 reps | 12 reps |
In terms of career path, this is a comparison that does not quite fit, in my opinion. Sanders is heading into his sixth NFL season, and while he made the Pro Bowl in 2014, it took him some time to become the player he is.
| Year | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2010 | 28 | 376 | 13.4 | 2 |
| 2011 | 22 | 288 | 13.1 | 2 |
| 2012 | 44 | 626 | 14.2 | 1 |
| 2013 | 67 | 740 | 11.0 | 6 |
| 2014 | 101 | 1404 | 13.9 | 9 |
I think Agholor is already a polished receiver who is ready to contribute immediately and do not think it will take anywhere near as long for him to produce as it took Sanders.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
