Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is now the number one man in the passing game, finally, after five years of developing and most of that time growing behind A.J. Brown.
That became official with Brown being traded to the New England Patriots as the Eagles acquired a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick. Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata was asked about Smith stepping into that top spot at receiver now, and Mailata said the confidence has always been there for Him and his teammates.
“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver. Nothing has changed for Smitty. Smitty has always led from the front," Mailata said via The Athletic's Brooks Kubena. "Just because he never wore that captain’s patch in the last two years, didn’t mean that he wasn’t a captain in the locker room. He always led from the front, and that’s why, I’m calling it now, when he wears that captain’s patch this year, there’s no surprise. He’s always been a captain in my eyes.”
DeVonta Smith has his teammates' confidence as WR1 going into 2026
Mailata is spot on, as one could argue that Smith was already the number-one receiver in this offense last year. He led the team in receiving yards with 1,008 yards despite having eight fewer targets and one fewer reception than Brown did.
Smith was the more reliable receiver on the Eagles in 2025, paving the way for confidence that he can take on the number-one receiver role. It's the first time since his rookie season in 2021 that he has led the Eagles in receiving.
While there will be a new level of pressure that comes with the job, Smith was built for this moment and won't have to do it all himself. He's got a great supporting cast of receivers with rookie Makai Lemon, Dontavyion Wicks, and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown there to help.
All offseason, Smith has been working towards this moment, reportedly calling other receivers in similar roles to ask for advice. The work that he is putting into this job shows that he is not taking it lightly and wants to run with it.
Read more: Eagles get confirmed 2026 preseason schedule (with one on national TV)
While Eagles fans have not seen the 2026 version of Smith in action, they have always known that he was a number-one receiver. He just needed to step out of Brown's shadow to finally have the light be put on him to prove it.
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