When DeVonta Smith was wreaking havoc on opposing defenses during his time at Alabama he was utilized in a variety of formations and in motion to great success. During his rookie season in Philadelphia, he was curiously not used in that same manner. In fact, he was used in motion to one of the lowest, if not the lowest, rates in the NFL.
Smith struggled at times against press coverage. While he amassed an above-average target rate, he was held to a below-average yard per route.
The addition of AJ Brown should change that and have Smith soaring high.
The Good:
DeVonta was a lot more successful in creating explosive plays when he was able to get free off the line of scrimmage. Smitty lined up wide on 877 of his 1003 snaps last season. He played from the slot in 97 of them. The addition of Brown should allow for more DeVonta from the slot alignment and freedom to move around the line.
Defenses will have a lot more to think about, in assessing plays during pre-snap reads with all of the movement.
Smith should also be able to put up bigger numbers while facing a lot of off-coverage defenses, allowing him to get a cleaner release and create more separation.
His size has been written about so often that beat writers should be as sick of it as DeVonta is. It has become a lazy narrative. He should have quieted the doubters regarding his size by now. It’s time to focus on the production.
The Numbers:
DeVonta ranked 29th in the NFL in receptions, 45th in yards, and 40th in touchdowns.
Smith recorded the 15th-most snaps in the slot of all qualifying players but ranked 5th in yards out of the formation. This seems to suggest that he was far too often underutilized in that role and that these play designs should have been called more frequently.
DeVonta was targeted 104 in 17 games, which was tied for 37th in the NFL. That is way too low for a WR of his caliber.
Considering the Eagles threw the ball an NFL-low 494 times in 2021. That’s only 29.4 pass attempts per game, which didn’t allow for many targets per receiver, and Jalen Reagor had 57 of those.
Despite all of that, DeVonta managed to have two 100-yard games, averaged 14.3 yards per catch, and caught a pass in all 18 games he played in.
Those are pretty outstanding stats that Smith compiled. Especially for a rookie.
Training Camp Observations:
The Future:
If Smith put up the same numbers he did during his rookie season over the next 5 years, he would have had a productive career. But he and the Eagles are expecting a lot more. Smith himself demands exceptionalism.
To be considered elite you need to produce over 1200–1300 yards, probably closer to 1300 in a 17-game season. Those stats will be hard to reach if the Eagles don’t increase their number of passing plays.
There are many reasons for optimism, starting with his work ethic, leadership, and route running.
AJ Brown has been impressed by what he has seen too, “His route running is special.”
During his phenomenal final season at Alabama, DeVonta led the NCAA in screens, screen yards, deep catches, and deep yards. If the Eagles can find creative ways to get Smith in space, he could be just as electrifying this season in the NFL.
DeVonta on DeVonta:
Smitty previously stated he set goals before his rookie season but declined to state what they were heading into the year or when it was over. His reason?
“I’m still not going to share them because I didn’t meet them, so (I’ll) carry those goals over to next season and try to get those goals next year.”
His desire to be great and his relentless work ethic make little doubt that those personal goals will be met. But make no mistake, the biggest goal is the one he shares with his teammates. Being a part of the team that is holding a Lombardi trophy in February.
Projected Stats
76 Receptions 1061 receiving yards 7 TDs
Fantasy:
Last season DeVonta finished as the 30th overall receiver in point-per-reception formats. The Eagles adding number one receiver AJ Brown doesn’t seem to lead one to believe his numbers will increase, but I think otherwise.
Smith is currently being drafted between the 80th and 85th overall player selected. This makes him a mid-thirties receiver. I would expect more than that and more points than he had last year. His targets shouldn’t decrease with the arrival of Brown (those will be at the expense of Reagor and others) and not having to face every team’s number one DB should lead to more production.