The playoff game against the Bucs didn’t end in the way Eagles fans hoped, but there are plenty of positives to take from a season where the expectations were minimal. One of the brightest spots all year long has been the play of rookie wideout DeVonta Smith, but the Bama product is only just getting started.
Meeting with reporters on Monday, Smith stated the following:
“There’s some stuff I left out there. I’m still not satisfied. I still feel like I can be a whole lot better than I was.”
DeVonta Smith
That in itself is a scary prospect. Smith broke DeSean Jackson’s franchise record for most rookie-season receiving yards, becoming the first Eagles wideout to put up 900+ yards since Jordan Matthews in 2015.
Beyond the numbers, Smith was unphased by opposing CB1’s, breaking ankles on a regular basis and generating acres of separation with his crisp route-running. His hands were as soft as silk and it’s almost alien to imagine a wideout with the spatial awareness that Smith has near the boundary. He played like a 3-year veteran this season and was a key cog in the rise of the offense, becoming a reliable pair of hands for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
His response shouldn’t come as a surprise, however. Back in September, Head Coach Nick Sirianni had this to say:
It’s something we talk about a lot, but not everybody sees it. DeVonta studies tape a lot and studies tape hard. He picks up on those little things. Again, I think he’s obsessed with getting better and obsessed with his craft of being a better wide receiver every day.
Smitty has become the antidote to wideout issues in Philadelphia and his ceiling is salivatingly high. To see a receiver not only perform at the level he is, but do it with such a level head, grounded personality, and to do so at a young age is genuinely so refreshing to see.
The Eagles have hit a home-run with the tenth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
