The Philadelphia Eagles made a statement in the 2026 NFL Draft about where their offense, led by Jalen Hurts, is headed…and who needs to adjust. That one is for Hurts to read into.
Turnovers spiked after 2022, decision-making dipped, and the middle of the field became a no-fly zone. And that’s when it all started to unravel.
Dan Orlovsky Explains Why Eagles Just Forced a Shift for Jalen Hurts
In 2023, Hurts committed 20 total turnovers, including 15 interceptions. The inconsistency carried over, with a five-turnover collapse against the Los Angeles Chargers in December 2025 serving as the low point.
Mechanically, the issues are just as obvious. A 3.07-second average time to throw and a league-low 4.7 percent rate targeting the intermediate middle of the field show a quarterback avoiding the toughest reads.
So, the Eagles did what they could to address the elephant in the offense. And on ESPN’s live coverage, Dan Orlovsky admitted that he loved it, but he also predicted that it only means forcing a change out of Hurts.
Orlovsky said, “It’s the dawn of a new era offensively in Philadelphia. I mean, Jalen Hurts will have no choice but to throw the ball over the middle of the field and get comfortable doing it. I think not only the Makai Lemon selection, but to your point, Stowers, indicates that Sean Mannion play call.
“I mean, if we look at Jalen Hurts over the past couple of years, he’s the least thrower of the football over the middle of the field. 38% of his passes go over the middle of the field. The next closest is Bryce Young, and he’s 6% higher.”
Orlovsky reassured that he, indeed, loved the selections, but the new era is inevitably here.
He said, “Makai Lemon, huge fan. Stowers, love him. The ex-quarterback element. I do find it very interesting that in Philadelphia, they hire an offensive coordinator who, at its core, the three things that he does are the things that the quarterback doesn’t do or do well.
And their first two selections are guys who wear out the area of the field where he just doesn’t distribute the ball. It’s a new era. And I think his hand is going to be forced getting comfortable with it.”
“Jalen Hurts will have no choice but to throw the ball over the middle. … It’s a new era, and I think his hand is going to be forced getting comfortable with it.”
—@danorlovsky7 on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles following the NFL draft 🏈 pic.twitter.com/rR0m4pzzes
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 27, 2026
That’s the crux of it. Philadelphia drafted answers to Hurts’ biggest weaknesses. The addition of Eli Stowers at No. 54 gives them a physical, vertical threat over the middle.
At 6-foot-3, 239 pounds with a 45.5-inch vertical, he’s built for seams, crossers, and quick outlets. Pair him with Dallas Goedert, and they will get two-tight-end sets that force linebackers into conflict. Those are throws Hurts has historically avoided.
Then there’s Makai Lemon, a true separator who thrives in the slot. Quick, precise, and built for timing routes, Lemon alleviates the offense by providing an immediate middle-of-field option. Together, Lemon and Stowers could do more than just complement each other in the passing game.
This aligns directly with the arrival of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. His system, rooted in intermediate reads and play-action, requires processing between the numbers. It’s the exact area where Hurts has lagged behind.
The Eagles have now removed that limitation from the playbook. What’s left is whether Hurts can remove it from his game.
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There are signs of stability. In 2025, he threw 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions and finished No. 15 overall on PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric. But the identity question remains.
A dual-threat quarterback who once leaned on mobility is now being pushed toward full-field progression reads.
