The Indianapolis Colts’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is firmly in the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It became very clear on Saturday when Carson Wentz won all 63 offensive shots in the Colts’ 22-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Under the terms of trade that sent Wentz from Philly to Indy in the last offseason, the Eagles were given a conditional second round that would become a first round if Wentz played 75% of the Colts’ snaps in 2021. The trade Also stipulated that the second round would become a first round if the Colts qualified for the playoffs and Wentz won 70% of the snaps. But while the Colts are yet to clinch a playoff berth, Wentz has clinched the 75 percent threshold.
Wentz has now played 97.7% of Colts snaps (923 of 945), according to Next Generation stats. In Week 16, the Colts averaged 63 snaps per game and are on track for 1,071 for the season. For Wentz to fall below the 75% benchmark, he would have to miss Indy’s last two games and the Colts are expected to average 143 snaps per game over that span – which is clearly not a possible outcome.
In Philadelphia, Wentz suffered injuries including a torn knee ligaments (2017) and a back problem (2018), as well as a bench (2020) for five seasons. The Eagles passed a second-round pick on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2020, and ultimately turned to Hurts as a starter, which made Wentz more consumable.
In August, with Wentz hampered by a preseason foot injury that required surgery before he even had his first shot for Indianapolis, the odds of him meeting the 75 percent requirement seemed much higher. dark. However, Wentz’s quick recovery saw him start the team’s opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Since then, the Wentz-Colts marriage has been healthy and smooth under the guidance of coach Frank Reich, who worked with Wentz for two seasons as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. Wentz and aspiring running back Jonathan Taylor reinvigorated the offense and helped the team establish an 8-6 record heading into Saturday.
The Eagles have three first-round picks for the 2022 draft: theirs, plus the Dolphins and Colts. The extra picks put the club in an enviable draft position, with big needs on the defensive end of the ball. The Eagles also acquired a 2021 third-round pick from the Colts in trading Wentz, which they then distributed to the Dallas Cowboys to trade in the first round and select wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
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