Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is entering a pivotal season with the franchise, as it is the first that he will officially be WR1.
Last month, the Eagles traded wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots to finally end the two-year drama of him being on the roster. It opened the door for Smith to finally take his place at the top, which is something he expected all offseason. He reportedly prepared for the moment by reaching out to several people for advice on becoming a top receiver on a team.
NFL personnel made it clear how they felt about Smith since he wasn't even in the top 15 wide receivers in the league entering 2026. The real question is what metrics does Smith have to hit in 2026 for it to be considered a success?
What does DeVonta Smith have to do to be a success in 2026?
There are some simple things that he has no choice but to accomplish in order for 2026 to be a successful season for the underrated receiver. Smith has to lead the team in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and receptions, and must hit over 1,000 yards on the year.
Smith's career high for receiving yards in a season is 1,196, back in 2022 during their Super Bowl run that ended in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. With that being the benchmark, he has to go over 1,200 yards and set a new career-high.
In 2024, he had a career high in touchdowns with eight, and his most receptions in a season were 95 in 2022. Getting 100 receptions and more than eight touchdowns would be a good goal for him to have.
When it comes to average yards per reception, the Eagles don't need him to be at a crazy mark, as his career-high is 14.3 during his rookie season in 2021. Anything about 13 yards per reception would be a good start.
What would be nice, but not completely in his control, is Smith finally getting that first Pro Bowl selection, which, if he does 100 receptions for 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns, should be good enough to sneak him in.
Read more: These Eagles players might have a bit too much buzz around them in 2026
Big expectations are surrounding Brown in a season where the fan base wants him to excel, but whether that will actually happen is another question. His past shows that he's ready to take on the WR1 job and do it well.
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