Last year an injury to veteran WR Kevin Curtis opened the door for more playing time for rookie DeSean Jackson.  In 2009 the exact same scenario is playing out again, only this time the rookie WR is Jeremy Maclin.  After an unassuming debut as a starter against the Chiefs (4 catches, 33 yards), Maclin broke out with a 2-TD performance last week against Tampa Bay, as he hauled in six catches for 142 yards.

Maclin was the 19^th player selected in the 2009 draft and the third receiver off the board following Darrius Heyward-Bay and Michael Crabtree.  After declaring for the draft following his sophomore season at Missouri, Maclin was thought to be a top-10 pick, but a knee injury at the NFL Scouting Combine led to sub-par 40-yard dash times and a drop in his stock.

In his two years with the Tigers, Maclin did it all.  After sitting out a redshirt year, Maclin set the NCAA freshman single-season record with 2,776 all-purpose yards, which he gained rushing, receiving and returning both punts and kicks.  He finished with 16 touchdowns in 2007 and became the first freshman in Missouri history to earn first team All-American honors.

He did even better his sophomore season.  Maclin totaled a school record 2.833 all-purpose yards and finished with 17 touchdowns.  This time he did the great majority of his damage at wide receiver.  Maclin became just the sixth player in Big 12 history to top 100 catches, as he finished with 102 receptions for 1,260 yards and 13 TDs, all Missouri school bests.

But Maclin’s rise to the top took a bump after he declared for the draft.  In addition to the knee injury, Maclin found himself as a holdout.  And while he missed just a little over a week of practice time, Maclin was behind not only Curtis and Jackson, but also Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Reggie Brown and Brandon Gibson (2009 6^th-round pick).

The Eagles kept seven receivers after making their final cuts for the 2009 roster.  Baskett hurt his knee in pre-season and ended up being waived after the start of the season while Gibson has yet to see action.  Brown has played in just one game so far, which left Avant and Maclin fighting for playing time before Curtis’ injury.

Avant had a big game with 11 catches in the Week 2 loss to New Orleans but when the Eagles needed a receiver to replace Curtis in Week 3, they opted for Maclin, despite the fact that Maclin had not made an impact at receiver and was struggling as a returner.

Maclin rewarded coach Andy Reid’s confidence by hauling in two long touchdown passes.  It was a bit of a shock, as it was the first time that Maclin and starting QB Donovan McNabb were in a regular-season game together.  But with the Bucs focusing on Jackson, who they limited to one catch, Maclin took advantage of single coverage for his big day.

Reid has yet to anoint Maclin as a permanent starter, but fantasy league owners have basically done that for him, as they have made Maclin one of the most added fantasy players this week.  While he is unlikely to repeat last week’s performance, his presence along with Jackson gives the Eagles two receivers with the ability to stretch the defense, which should open things up even more for RB Brian Westbrook and Avant working in the middle of the field.

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