DeVonta Smith Continuing To Prove His Underratedness With Fantastic Stretch Of Games
Drew Hallowell / Philadelphia Eagles
Over the history of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, the team has had their fair share of star wide receivers. From Harold Carmichael, Mike Quick, and Terrell Owens. To DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles have always made it a priority to get elite pass catchers on their offense.
That didn’t change when the regime changed back in 2021 with Nick Sirianni, as the Eagles went out and found the team a brand new wide receiver in the first round of that year’s draft. Despite not being able to get the stud from that year’s class in Ja’Marr Chase, the Eagles settled for the guy who went out and selected that player who won the Heisman that season in DeVonta Smith.
Smith was just the third primary wide receiver to win the Heisman, and he rightfully deserved it as during his senior season at Alabama, he finished with 117 receptions for 1856 yards and 24 total touchdowns. He also went on to win the National Championship with the Crimson Tide, capping off an incredible run at Tuscaloosa.
Heading into the draft process, despite the positives in his game, many scouts and teams didn’t think that Smith could be a WR1 in the NFL. He measured at just over six feet tall and 166 lbs, well below the NFL average. However, the Eagles didn’t care about his weaknesses and saw his value in his route running and excellent catching ability, selecting him 10th overall in the draft
Right away, Smith made his impact on the Eagles, posting a stellar rookie year with 916 yards, setting the Eagles’ rookie record for most receiving yards in a single season. That season, he helped the Eagles reach the playoffs after winning just four games the previous season.
While Smith clearly showed to be a home run pick, the Eagles wanted to improve their wide receiver room even more by acquiring one of the best young players in the NFL in A.J. Brown. Trading for Brown arguably gave the Eagles the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, and over the next three seasons, they helped the Eagles go to two Super Bowls, winning one of them.
Since Brown arrived, people have always assumed that he was the WR1 on the team, and he has been Jalen Hurts‘ go-to guy in big spots during their time together. Brown is a spectacular player, but it always feels like Smith has to take a backseat for praise when he has clearly shown that he is just as capable of leading an offense as its top target.
And while the passing game for the Eagles in 2025 didn’t start on a hot note, Smith has been a big reason why, as of late, it’s been outstanding. Over the past four weeks, Smith has totaled 430 receiving yards, the second most across the entire NFL in that span.
His big game of the season came last week against Minnesota when he recorded a career high 183 yards on nine receptions, including a 79-yard bomb touchdown.
Coming off that masterclass performance, Smith had his hands full even more as Brown was ruled out with a hamstring injury for the Eagles’ matchup against the New York Giants, putting Smith as the number one option for the Eagles’ passing game.
Despite this, Smith showed up once again in Philadelphia’s 38-20 win over the G-Men, catching six balls for 84 yards, showing off his stellar route running throughout the win. He stepped up big time without Brown and helped the Eagles secure their sixth win on the season heading into the bye.
Years from now, when all of the players from the core of this Eagles team are retired, people are going to look back on this Eagles team and talk about the amazing play from Saquon Barkley, Hurts, the entire Eagles defense, and the stellar WR1 play from Brown. However, one thing that should be remembered about this team is the outstanding and unselfish play from Smith.
Week in and week out, Smith comes to work and continues to prove people wrong but being an elite wide receiver in the NFL. No matter his size and strength, Smith continues to get better as he gets older and remains one of the most underrated players across the entire NFL.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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