The Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick is getting a lot of attention
It may be an early assessment, but the Philadelphia Eagles may have struck gold with their 2021 first-round pick, Devonta Smith. The rookie receiver had a lot of recognition following his senior year at the University of Alabama. In his final year at Alabama, Smith had over 1800 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns, not to mention he was the Heisman Trophy winner.
When the 2021 draft finally came around, and the Eagles traded with the Dallas Cowboys to move up, Philly fans were extremely nervous. This is mainly because quarterback Justin Fields was still sitting on the board, but when the Eagles called Smith's name, it was almost like a weight had been lifted from fans everywhere. Devonta is the type of receiver that Eagles fans have not seen on this team for a long time.
Fast forward to Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, and Smith was exactly like advertised. His route running, speed off the line, and ability to create separation led him to 6 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. However, in the next two following games, Smith was only able to get 44 yards in total. So what exactly happened? Why was there such a significant dropoff in production? Well, there is a simple explanation for it.
Playcalling and quarterback play are partial reasons for the dropoff-, but the main reason is that the 'Slim Reaper' is not fooling anyone. Smith, who had concerns throughout the league because of his size, has gotten his due attention from opposing defenses. The rookie is one of the most cushioned receivers in the league. What do we mean by that? It means Smith is giving a lot of breathing room at the line of scrimmage from opposing defensive backs.
Suppose you are curious why the game against the Kansas City Chiefs is a good reason. The Chiefs secondary had a hard time containing Smith in press-man coverage, and the Eagles did a great job exploiting the matchups. Outside of that, opposing teams have doubled him often and call hybrid-zone coverage to keep him from getting behind the defender. It is exciting to see him continue to grow in the league, and Philly fans should be excited that he is in midnight green.
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