1st Round – WR DeVonta Smith

The Eagles moved up from pick 12 to pick 10 and took Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith. They traded with Dallas, giving up a third round pick. After watching targets Jaylen Waddle, Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain go off the board, Howie Roseman decided to go get the guy that he and the team wanted.

Great move.

I hated to give up the third round pick, but Smith is a terrific prospect. He’s important for multiple reasons. Smith gives the Eagles a gifted wide receiver who makes the passing game instantly better. As Nick Sirianni mentioned in the post-pick presser, Smith can get open and catch the ball. We can talk about a lot of things, but catching the ball is the most important skill for a WR. All too often in recent years, the Eagles have struggled with drops. Smith should change that.

Smith is a great route runner. He combines impressive physical skills with a good feel for how to get open. Pure speed doesn’t get you open. That is an ability that is partly instinctive and partly due to hard work and lots of practice.

One of the things I’m most excited about is Sirianni preaching the importance of Run After Catch yards. That was a weak spot in recent years. Sirianni will emphasize it and Smith is a great fit for that. He isn’t a blazer, but he is a long strider and can eat up ground when he’s in the open. He’s elusive and tough. He can make you miss or break some tackles. I love watching him run with the ball.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1387944905981321217

Just as impressive is watching Smith catch the ball. He is so smooth and natural. He’s got great hands. Picasso was born to paint. I was born to chug PBR. DeVonta was born to catch the football. Sometimes greatness is thrust upon us.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1387943496896716801

You can see that he’s able to make contested catches. He doesn’t have to be wide open. I’m blown away by his body control. He’s able to elevate, twist, locate the ball and make the catch. On another play, he’s able to toe-tap and get both feet in fractions of an inch before the sideline or endline. This is a special dude.

Let’s talk about size. Smith is 6-0, 166. That is tiny in today’s NFL. I had concerns about taking Smith at 6 because of his size. Moving back to 12 (then up to 10) made me more comfortable. I think Smith is the anomaly who will succeed despite his size, but we do have to be honest and admit his size is incredibly rare for a top prospect. Rolling the dice on a late rounder is different than taking someone Top 12.

If you watch the game tape, Smith played big. He was able to overcome press coverage. He was an excellent blocker on screens and run plays. Smith was a punt returner and also a gunner on the punt cover team. He isn’t shy about hitting or getting hit. Smith plays bigger than he is. He plays with an attitude. In his mind, he’s 6-4, 235.

I think Smith has major value with his mindset and personality. Sirianni is trying to establish a new culture. He wants players who are 100 percent committed to winning. The Eagles had become bloated in recent years, worrying about contracts, leaking stories to the press and obsessing on individuality rather than being a team. Smith comes from Alabama, where players obsess on winning. He will do all the little things it takes to win.

2020 Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith doing dirty work as vice on PR team. For those that question Smith’s bulk deficiency, ask yourself this: Would Saban use @DeVontaSmith_6 extensively on ST if he had concerns about his play strength and durability?#TheDraftStartsInMobile pic.twitter.com/BIbCXBCy6M

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 2, 2021

Smith gives the Eagles a really promising group of receivers.

DeVonta Smith
Jalen Reagor
Travis Fulgham
Greg Ward
John Hightower
Quez Watkins
JJ Arcega-Whiteside

Sirianni said that the Eagles won’t have defined roles. Nobody will be “the slot guy” or the X or the Z. They will know all the positions and will move around, likely to take advantage of specific matchups. This also makes it tougher to defend them. You don’t know where the receivers will be on a given play.

The Eagles wanted to give Jalen Hurts a chance to succeed. Adding a weapon like Smith is a big step in the right direction.

I’m genuinely excited by picking Smith. He was my favorite college football player in 2020. He was just so good and so consistent. You knew the ball was going to him and he still got open, caught it and made the play.

The Eagles didn’t get cute. They didn’t overthink this. They took a great player and a great fit.

I give them an A+ for Day One.

*****

Plenty of good picks available at 37. I’ll post thougths on Day 2 later.

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