Chip Kelly replaced Jeremy Maclin with Jeremy Maclin. Well, sort of. When the Philadelphia Eagles lost Maclin in free agency to former coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs, people were devastated. After an offseason filled with controversial moves and roster changes, people did not want to see the Eagles’ leading receiver fail to return for a second summer in a row. First it was DeSean Jackson, now it was Maclin. People questioned Kelly and his decision-making when it came to turning over the roster. However, when the Eagles picked Nelson Agholor No. 20 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, people started to forgive Kelly and warmed up to the idea of not having Maclin for the 2015 season.

Prior to the draft every year, it is standard procedure for the analysts and other draft experts to compare players in the upcoming draft class to current players in the NFL. These comparisons are based on the players’ measurables, play style and characteristics on and off the field. When it came time to create Agholor’s pro comparison, it was a no-brainer: Jeremy Maclin. The two players are clones of one another. The two are so similar it is scary.

Let’s start with Maclin. He is 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, runs a 4.45 40-yard dash with a 1.58 10-yard split. He had a 10-foot broad jump and a 35.5-inch vertical leap. In addition to receiver, he had experience returning punts and kicks for the Missouri Tigers. Coming out of college, Maclin was electric. His scouting report stated he was a threat to score any time he touched the ball. He was selfless and a hard worker, constantly working to improve in any aspect of his game. He was selected No. 19 overall by the Eagles in the 2009 draft. We all know how good Maclin was in his six years with the Eagles. However, his $11 million per season price tag was way too high for the Eagles, and they did the smart thing by letting him walk — especially with a talented draft class coming up in the 2015 draft.

One of the talented receivers among the draft class was Agholor. Let’s examine how he stacks up to his pro comparison. Like Maclin, Agholor is also 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds. He runs a 4.42 40-yard dash with a 1.59 10-yard split. He posted a 10-foot-5 broad jump and a 36.5-inch vertical leap. Also like Maclin, Agholor returned punts and kicks in addition to playing wide receiver at the University of Southern California. Agholor plays just like Maclin — electric. He too is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. He is a selfless player and dedicated to working hard. He showed his work ethic by taking a taxi cab instead of the normal rookie shuttle to minicamp practices so he can get an extra workout and film time in before everyone else arrived. In the end, one could make the argument that Agholor is an even better athlete than Maclin was; his Combine numbers would indicate so. While this doesn’t mean Agholor will step in right away and pick up when Maclin left off, it is an encouraging sign to see out of a young rookie with big shoes to fill.

While it is an odd scenario to see a team move on from its leading receiver the season before in two consecutive off seasons, it has worked out well thus far for Kelly and the Eagles. With the selection of Jordan Mathews and Josh Huff in 2014 coupled with the selection of Agholor this past draft, things are looking bright for the Eagles in the future. They have three young guys who are extremely hard workers and willing to do whatever it takes to win. With Agholor in the fold, and Mathews and Huff continuing to develop, the Eagles could have one of the best receiving corps in the league a few years down the line. If so, people will be happy the Eagles decided to replace Maclin with a guy so similar.