The first quarterback off the board on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL draft was Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.

And in a surprising and intriguing move, he’s headed to Philadelphia.

Hurts, who was selected No. 53 overall, appears likely to serve as the immediate backup to former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, who has shown glimpses of MVP-caliber talent but also had durability issues so far in young NFL career. 

Yet Hurts also has the potential to play something of a change-of-pace role right away, too, perhaps in short-yardage or goal line situations. Some prognosticators have likened him to New Orleans Saints do-it-all weapon Taysom Hill.

Speaking with reporters after the pick, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman maintained the team remained firmly committed to Wentz as it starter.

“We’ve shown how we feel about Carson by our actions,” Roseman added. “We showed it by the amount of picks we put into him, and we showed it by the contract extension. We believe he’s the guy to lead us to our next Super Bowl championship.

“But for better or worse, we are quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”

A Houston native, Hurts began his collegiate career at Alabama, starting as a freshman and helping lead the Crimson Tide to the national championship game as a sophomore. But he was benched at halftime of that game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa, who was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

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After being supplanted by Tagovailoa, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma, where in 2019 he completed nearly 70% of his passes and threw for 3,851 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He finished second in voting for the Heisman Trophy to Joe Burrow.

In an interview on ABC’s draft broadcast, Hurts said he believes the unique ups and downs of his college career can only help him in the NFL.

“It’s all been unprecedented,” he said. “To sit here, have this opportunity to go to the next level, it’s a blessing.”

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @@Tom_Schad