Eagles grab North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz with No. 2 pick
The Philadelphia Eagles have selected North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Eagles went through a small arsenal of trades to secure this year's No. 2 pick and draft a would-be franchise quarterback. The strong-armed 6-foot-5, 237-pound Wentz, who was initially seen as a second- or third-day selection, vaulted to the top of the draft heap after his Senior Bowl practice performances drew raves.
Welcome to Philadelphia, @cj_wentz! #EaglesDraft pic.twitter.com/oGkiZgUEdw
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 29, 2016
Philly, let's do this! Can't wait to compete in Eagles Green for the best fans in football, @TideNFL #OurColors #ad pic.twitter.com/GblFYZiSQW
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) April 29, 2016
Wentz spent two years as starting quarterback for North Dakota State, finishing his college career with 45 passing touchdowns. A broken wrist forced him to miss eight games his senior year, but Wentz returned to lead the Bison in a 37-10 win over Jacksonville State to secure the FCS national championship title.
The 23-year-old Bismarck native joins the Eagles roster alongside quarterback Sam Bradford, who made it known earlier in the week that he would liked to be traded once he found out Philadelphia traded up in the draft to ostensibly angle for either Wentz or Cal's Jared Goff, who was selected first overall.
The first quarterback from North Dakota State selected in the draft, Wentz is also the first quarterback chosen by the Eagles in the first round since 1999, when Andy Reid took Donovan McNabb at No. 2 overall.
The Eagles went through many hurdles to acquire Wentz, giving Cleveland the eighth overall pick, a third-round pick (No. 77), a fourth-rounder (No. 100), plus a first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018 for the second pick and a fourth-rounder in 2017. They moved up to eighth by trading the 13th pick, cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso to Miami.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
