With the 10th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected wide receiver DeVonta Smith from Alabama. The Eagles sent a third-round pick to their NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys to move up from 12 to 10 to take Smith.
Smith comes into the NFL after an illustrious four-year stint with the Crimson Tide. In 47 games for Alabama, Smith caught 235 passes for 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns. Fully 117 of the receptions, 1,856 of the yards, and a staggering 23 of the touchdowns came during the 2020 season, after which he won the Heisman Trophy. This award is not typically awarded to WRs, but Smith’s insane production ensured his recognition was warranted.
The Fit with the Eagles
The Eagles have now taken WRs in the first round in back-to-back drafts, after selecting Jalen Reagor last season. Reagor was a WR Prospect Lab star coming out of TCU, but still not nearly as decorated as Smith. Smith also brings a familiarity with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who played with Smith at Alabama before he moved to Oklahoma. It is not hard to see Smith stepping into the WR1 chair for the Eagles straight away, with Reagor joining him on the outside. The Eagles have Dallas Goedert at tight end, and old faithful Greg Ward to man the slot. I would expect the Eagles to try to lean on their ground game in 2021, given Hurts’ skill set. But they’ll still have to throw the ball, and when they do, they’ll be looking for Smith.
