The NFL season is a long, tumultuous grind that requires physical and mental fortitude, some good fortune health wise and have players step up to fill voids and produce. Fortunately, the Eagles have fared well in all those categories to this point of the season. One player who has started to become an impact player as the Eagles close in on the playoffs is EDGE linebacker Nolan Smith.
The second of two first round picks (30th overall) by the Eagles in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Georgia who took some unfair scrutiny after a less than impactful rookie season, has taken a huge leap forward in season two as a pro. Smith has done an admirable job providing the pass rush and strong linebacking play off the edge in lieu of Brandon Graham who tore his triceps in his left arm in Week 12.
The Eagles are seeing big things from Nolan Smith in year 2
Smith has played in all 14 games this year for the Eagles while making eight starts and the second-year linebacker is taking advantage of the playing time. On the season, he has a career-high 5.5 sacks which is the second-most on the team behind Josh Sweat who has eight. He’s recorded three of those sacks in the last five games. In addition, Smith has seven tackles for a loss and 10 quarterback hits. He has thrived under Vic Fangio this year and is trending upward.
The 23-year-old is coming off his best game of his young career where he played 95% of the team’s defensive snaps in the win against the Steelers Sunday. Smith recorded a career-best four quarterback pressures according to PFF. He also was the second-highest graded defensive player in the game according to PFF’s grading scale, coming in at 84.0, just behind fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean (90.1) and Steelers’ J.J. Watt (87.9).
Smith’s play is starting to be noticed as of late and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that the young linebacker has been working hard at his craft.
“He’s done a good job improving each and every week from start of OTAs to training camp,” Fangio said.
“He has put it on himself to improve and learn his position the techniques of his position, the ins and out of his position to help him make a play or two. He’s a good athlete, he has good speed and he’s able to amp up his physicalness to make up for his non-ideal size for his position”.
The former Georgia Bulldog’s stature was one of the knocks when he was coming out of college. At 6-foot-2, 238 pounds, he’s undersized compared to the average NFL linebacker. However, Fangio has noticed that Smith has accepted the fact he needs to work on other parts of his game to overcome some of his physical deficiencies.
“It’s unusual in today’s game,” the Eagles’ defensive coordinator commented regarding Smith’s size.
“He’s embraced the challenges of his position. Everyone does where they might be a little deficient from size or movement and he’s learned to work with that.”
Smith always played hard and with a high motor, even in college. As PSN’s Anthony DiBona highlights, it doesn’t matter who the linebacker lines up against, he will give his all.
Smith and the Eagles’ linebacking corps has embraced being the heartbeat of the team, thanks to another emerging star in Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean taking another big step forward as both lead the way with 100+ tackles each on the season. Sweat continues to get to the quarterback as well and even rookie Jaylix Hunt has made some plays with increased playing time in the rotation.
Success from a position group that the franchise has typically ignored over the years has been a huge boost and key development as to how the defense has been able to go from being one of the worst units in all of football last year, to the top-ranked defense this season.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
