Philly Phile | Kinda shaky about one of the two high draft picks in town

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

The feeling … it’s a sinking one.

With each passing day, as Philly sports fans start to become more enamored with the reality that the 76ers went against the area’s majority sentiment for a trending talent to instead select a potential transcendent player in June’s NBA Draft, the concerns mount for what another pro franchise in town did in a similar situation.

Oh, Eagles, how you have scared me …

Never was a fan of what the city’s football team ultimately did in April’s NFL Draft.

Taking a virtual unknown, a guy who had skyrocketed up the charts mostly due to hype based off immeasurable intangible qualities, with the No. 2 pick … umm, yikes.

Put it this way, Carson Wentz was, is no Ben Smmons.

Oh, you never know how things will work out, how the stars may align in favor of one or the other, or both or neither, but, push comes to shove, two thoughts come to mind right now with the dust settling and emotions starting to stabilize – one for each team:

Good move.

What the hell were you thinking?

Not for nothing, but Simmons was about as obvious choice as there ever has been. Only a sure-fire outside shooting stroke shy of being a unanimous No. 1 among all the experts and fans out there, the 6-foot-10, 240-pounder had been on everyone’s radar for several years and at the top of the heap for a couple of ’em. Sorry, Brandon Ingram supporters, your guy is just another guy, his type being available just about every lottery.

If anything, even if Simmons never worked out, even if he turned into an outright bust, the Sixers were making the safest and sanest selection with him – and, holy cow, actually went out and made it. Going off the evidence at hand, Simmons not only was the most pro-ready of all the prospects out there, but he had the highest ceiling, too.

Wentz is another story.

He’s an enigma, a question mark, a perplexing amalgam of uncertainty and possibility that remains shrouded in a cloak of he-may-need-to-sit-out-a-year mystery. In short, a far cry from the more proven, battle-tested candidates available that were taken after he was.

Contrary to throwaway comments used by the masses to justify their belief in Wentz and the Eagles in choosing him, he did not have a great college career or dominate at a lower level. Playing for a FCS juggernaut in North Dakota State, the 6-6, 237-pounder was sure to succeed in the won-loss category … because his team was going to regardless of his presence.

If anything, even if he panned out, even if he turned into an outright star, the Eagles were making a crazy and longshot selection with him – and, holy cow, actually went out and made it. Going off the evidence at hand, Wentz, while possessing a high ceiling in the eyes of his proponents, was one of the least pro-ready of all the prospects out there.

Had he played at the FBS level and posted the same numbers that would still be the case.

Can he prove me wrong? Sure, and hopefully he does.

Would definitely feel a lot better then.
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(Carson Wentz is) an enigma, a question mark, a perplexing amalgam of uncertainty and possibility that remains shrouded in a cloak of he-may-need-to-sit-out-a-year mystery. In short, a far cry from the more proven, battle-tested candidates available that were taken after he was. Contrary to throwaway comments used by the masses to justify their belief in Wentz and the Eagles in choosing him, he did not have a great college career or dominate at a lower level. Playing for a FCS juggernaut in North Dakota State, the 6-6, 237-pounder was sure to succeed in the won-loss category … because his team was going to regardless of his presence. If anything, even if he panned out, even if he turned into an outright star, the Eagles were making a crazy and longshot selection with him – and, holy cow, actually went out and made it. Going off the evidence at hand, Wentz, while possessing a high ceiling in the eyes of his proponents, was one of the least pro-ready of all the prospects out there.