While the rave of the Eagles’ offseason has been the acquisition of AJ Brown, there’s a different player that could truly cause fits for defenses all season long. Everyone knows how high of a ceiling DeVonta Smith has but no one has spoken about the possibility of him finding his stride in his sophomore season.
Do the Eagles have two WR1s?
AJ Brown has had a phenomenal start to his career after collecting 2,995 reconvene yards on 185 receptions. He also collected 24 touchdowns in the years that he spent in Tennessee but never has AJ Brown had a teammate that could be just as good as he is.
DeVonta Smith could be the one that breaks the mold. He had a terrific rookie season where he collected 916 yards on 64 receptions. Smitty also played 16 out of 17 games while averaging 14.3 yards per catch.
Now as he enters year two of his career with the Eagles, it seems as if Smitty has been swept underneath the rug due to the acquisition of AJ Brown. While Brown will take a majority of the spotlight, it will be Smith who could end up having a breakout year due to the lack of awareness defenses will have when he’s on the field.
Smith has been receiving nothing but great reviews this offseason even through the joint practices. He wasn’t available in the Eagles’ first preseason game due to a groin injury but he made his way back this week and made sure people knew.
Smitty has seemingly improved his route running which was a feat that truly made him special coming out of college. With defenses sending their best cornerbacks to AJ Brown, it’ll be interesting to see how the Eagles’ offense executes when relying on DeVonta Smith.
Can the Eagles’ former first-round pick top his rookie season numbers while sharing the spotlight with AJ Brown? Only time will tell but it looks like we’re in for a hell of a ride until the end of the season.
Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire
