JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Wide Receiver
Inman, S.C.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside was selected in the second round with the 57th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft on Friday night by the Philadelphia Eagles. A wide receiver from Inman, South Carolina, Arcega-Whiteside is the first Cardinal selected by the Eagles since Ed Reynolds in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft.
"JJ makes big catches that change field position and scores touchdowns," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "He is a difference maker that can make highlight catches and that is one of those traits that translates really well from college to the NFL."
A 2018 team captain and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Arcega-Whiteside earned All-Pac 12 second team honors last season while tying a 41-year-old school record with 14 touchdown catches. He finished second in school history with 28 career touchdown receptions and third in school history with nine 100-yard receiving games. His 2,219 career receiving yards are the 12th-most all-time at Stanford and his 135 receptions rank 18th.
"His work ethic is unbelievable," said wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy. "He wants to be a really good player. I think he's only scratched the tip of his potential. Play after play after play after play, if you look at him throughout his career at Stanford, he just continued to make plays. He's not only a great player, but a great person. The Eagles are getting a player who will not only improve the organization as a player, but even more so as a person."
Arcega-Whiteside totaled 63 catches for 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior in 2018. His 14 touchdown catches led the Pac-12 and ranked No. 3 in the country. His 1,059 receiving yards were the fifth-most in Stanford history for a single season and his five 100-yard receiving games were the fourth-most in a given year.
In 2017, he earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention after totaling a team-high 48 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. Arcega-Whiteside totaled 24 catches for 379 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore in 2016, earning Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.
