It’s hard to believe, following a great opening campaign by Philadelphia Eagles star DeVonta Smith, that there was ever a time when we were confused about whether or not ‘Smitty’ would even be a Bird. It just seems like this is one of those relationships that work and was meant to be.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner at the time, Smith’s name was scribbled on a draft card on April 29th of 2021, making him the tenth-overall selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, but his selection wasn’t a guarantee in any Eagles fan’s mind until it was announced.
If you’ll remember, the entire time the Birds were on the clock, there was this thought in the back of our minds. What if they crank that quarterback factory up again? What if they actually take Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields instead? What if Micah Parsons was the choice?
Well, we know how that ended up. Roger Goodell’s announcement sealed it. DeVonta Smith was, indeed, Philly’s choice, and even though Parsons has become a star in his own right, the man formerly known as the ‘Slim Reaper’ has given everyone cause to smile.
The hits just keep on coming with Eagles star DeVonta Smith.
Number 6 is off and running in the City of Brotherly Love, and how about that start? Smith hauled in 64 receptions for 916 yards, and he reached the end zone five times. He’s now the owner of the franchise record for the most receiving yards in a single season by a rookie.
Recently, FanSided’s Randy Gurzi graded every player taken in 2021 during Round 1. DeVonta earned a B. Here’s some of what Gurzi detailed as his argument.
"Philadelphia had just taken Jalen Reagor the season before but he didn’t look to be a No. 1 target as they hoped he would — and didn’t take any real steps forward in 2021 either. As for Smith, he looked the part as a rookie and finally gave the Eagles a receiver they could depend on."
Gurzi is right. There was intense pressure before DeVonta Smith even stepped onto the field and, honestly, that’s no fault of his own. Still, after Philly failed with the selection of JJ Arcega-Whiteside in Round 2 during the 2019 NFL Draft and after Jalen Reagor was a major disappointment a year later in 2020, seeing some competency at the position from not only Smith but also Quez Watkins is reason enough, in our mind, to bump Smith’s grade up to an A.
He’s on his way. You can’t complain about the way things have started. You have to smile when you think about the fact that he’s only going to get better as he continues to learn the pro game and as things continue to slow down for him.