“Big people beat up little people.’’
That’s Chip Kelly’s fundamental theory about football.
Which explains why Kelly selected one of the bigger wide receivers in the draft to replace the “little’’ one he released in March.
After trading up from the 54th pick in the second round to the 42nd pick, sending a fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans, the Eagles took a big receiver, Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews.
At 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, Matthews is about six inches taller and about 35 pounds heavier than the departed DeSean Jackson, who Kelly released.
Matthews, the seventh wide receiver taken in the draft and the second of the second round, set a Southeastern Conference record with 112 receptions for 1,477 yards and seven touchdowns last fall for the Commodores. The only senior among the top wide receivers, he also scored the highest on the Wonderlic test with a 29.
As a junior, he caught 94 passes for 1,323 yards and eight touchdowns, so if production is important, this is the guy.
“He has size, and runs faster (4.47) than you think he does,’’ a scout said about Matthews before the draft. “And he’s very productive, very polished.’’
Matthews figures to be the Eagles’ No. 3 receiver with starters Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper ahead of him.
A native of Madison, Ala., Matthews is a distant cousin of the greatest receiver of all time, Jerry Rice.
With the first of their two third-round picks, the one acquired from Cleveland, the Eagles traded with Houston for the first pick of the fourth round and the first pick of the fifth round.
Kelly then took his former Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff, who caught 62 passes for 1,140 yards for the Ducks last year with the 86th pick.
