In Jalen Hurts, the Eagles found an answer to the NFL quarterback mystery

With his winningest season, Kirk Cousins saved the Minnesota Vikings, however temporarily, from the most perilous process in American sport:

Finding and developing a transformative starting quarterback.

The Philadelphia Eagles have built one of the best rosters in the NFL, but if they hadn't spent a late second-round draft pick on a running quarterback who transferred in college because he lost his starting job, they would not be in the Super Bowl today.

Jalen Hurts is the Eagles' leader and most important player. He's one of the five most valuable players in the league. When the Eagles selected him in 2020, they raised more eyebrows than expectations.

That's how inscrutable the quarterback evaluation process is.

This plan led to a Super Bowl, and this plan didn't go as planned.

In 2016, the Eagles used the second pick in the draft on North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. He became an MVP candidate in 2017, leading the Eagles to an 11-2 record before injuring his knee.

The Eagles would win the Super Bowl that season, in Minneapolis, with journeyman backup quarterback Nick Foles.

They would draft Hurts three years later, and he would be the quarterback who would return them to the Super Bowl.

When Hurts was drafted, the initial public assumption was that he would be used similarly to Saints reserve Taysom Hill, as a running quarterback who could throw well enough to keep defenses honest.

Instead, Hurts won the starting job last year and excelled as a passer and runner this season. If he had remained healthy all year, he would have had a chance to win the Most Valuable Player award that went to his Super Bowl counterpart, Patrick Mahomes.

For every pleasant surprise like Hurts — or Mahomes — there are dozens of quarterbacks drafted in the first two rounds who disappoint, or utterly fail.

Remember, the Bears traded up to land the second pick in the 2017 draft, and chose Mitchell Trubisky. Mahomes went eight picks later to Kansas City.

The former was a bust. The latter might be the best quarterback ever.

What lessons can be learned from Hurts' ascension?

Good coaches adapt their schemes to their best players, not vice versa. Hurts is an excellent passer. He's already one of the most effective running quarterbacks in league history. The Eagles' ability to diversify their running game using Hurts' talents has made them a Super Bowl team.

If there is anyone in the NFL who doubts the ability of Black quarterbacks, they might want to keep their TV turned off on Sunday, and for the rest of their lives. This is the first matchup of Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Six of the 14 starting quarterbacks in the playoffs were Black, and Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and Trey Lance could quarterback playoff teams next year. Mock drafts suggest that two Black quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, could go in the first two or three picks this year.

NFL fans love to whine about the league's emphasis on keeping quarterbacks safe, but would you want to watch Chad Henne and Gardner Minshew play Sunday? Mahomes and Hurts could produce an epic Super Bowl. Quarterbacks are the league's most important assets. They drive ratings and pregame intrigue. They are the sport.

Leadership is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. Mahomes and Hurts are two of the league's best leaders: Mahomes because of his daring and command of the Chiefs' offense, Hurts because of his work ethic and poise. When your starting quarterback is your best and most inspirational player, you have an advantage over the rest of the league.

With Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees retired, the league is tilting toward mobile quarterbacks. You can win with a pocket passer, and the Rams did just last year, but many offensive gurus, including Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni, love the flexibility and playmaking of quarterbacks who can scramble and run.