ROUND 1 (#10): Eagles select DeVonta Smith (Alabama WR)

[ManchesterEagle]

4 hours ago, QBhunter58 said:

Tbh I kinda love how he lost track of the ball from his first TD. Makes it seem like scoring touchdowns is just a natural thing for him, no big deal he has his sights set much higher. 

 

3 hours ago, MillerTime said:

The double teamed him a lot. I’m not sure we have had a WR be double teamed in years

What I love about both Hurts and Smith is that after they do something good, they just re-focus and don't get too excited. They know they can produce more.

I've just ordered a Smith jersey, I was that impressed with him.

[MillerTime]

1 minute ago, ManchesterEagle said:

 

What I love about both Hurts and Smith is that after they do something good, they just re-focus and don't get too excited. They know they can produce more.

I've just ordered a Smith jersey, I was that impressed with him.

Got one after we drafted him. I said he was the best player in the draft.

[Bwestbrook36]

46 minutes ago, ManchesterEagle said:

 

What I love about both Hurts and Smith is that after they do something good, they just re-focus and don't get too excited. They know they can produce more.

I've just ordered a Smith jersey, I was that impressed with him.

I want a Miles Sanders one but, I know he won't stick around for the next contract. 

[Talonblood]

6 hours ago, QBhunter58 said:

Tbh I kinda love how he lost track of the ball from his first TD. Makes it seem like scoring touchdowns is just a natural thing for him, no big deal he has his sights set much higher. 

I hope someone gets that ball to him, though.

[EagleVA]

Going into the draft I was against taking a WR in the first round because of the abundance of WRs available, I was thinking 3rd or 4th round.

So the Eagles take Smith and quite frankly, through 3 games, he's not looking like a #1 receiver, he seems to be playing like a dear in headlights and it's understandable because he's being handled like a ragdoll. 

Unfortunately Hurts isn't helping the matter due to his decisions and off target passes, he can't be hanging the guy out to be smashed.  

 

[Bwestbrook36]

11 minutes ago, EagleVA said:

Going into the draft I was against taking a WR in the first round because of the abundance of WRs available, I was thinking 3rd or 4th round.

So the Eagles take Smith and quite frankly, through 3 games, he's not looking like a #1 receiver, he seems to be playing like a dear in headlights and it's understandable because he's being handled like a ragdoll. 

Unfortunately Hurts isn't helping the matter due to his decisions and off target passes, he can't be hanging the guy out to be smashed.  

 

You have to admit though he still stuck his nose in there and took those hits. A couple of them he had 2-3 guys hanging on him. He plays tough for a guy at 170 lbs. 

I actually didn't care for the pick either but, he is proving to be tough though and willing to take those hits. 

[EagleVA]

8 minutes ago, Bwestbrook36 said:

You have to admit though he still stuck his nose in there and took those hits. A couple of them he had 2-3 guys hanging on him. He plays tough for a guy at 170 lbs. 

I actually didn't care for the pick either but, he is proving to be tough though and willing to take those hits. 

He's beginning to shy away from contact though, that's why I made the post, again, Hurts is partly to blame.

[Bwestbrook36]

16 minutes ago, EagleVA said:

He's beginning to shy away from contact though, that's why I made the post, again, Hurts is partly to blame.

Agreed, he got blasted in the back on that one slant and he did seem to get hesitant after that. Can't say I blame him. They drafted a stick figure and now have an inaccurate QB leading him across the middle. 

That and diggs is a freaking monster of a cb on his ass the whole game. 

[seengreen]

Each week the struggles compound. Especially since Reagor is no threat. Hurts does not have repetitive accuracy and he lacks the vision or confidence to throw intermediate routes (20-30 yards mid-feild).

[PoconoDon]

There is a crazy trend towards a lack of physicality at the WR position being OK. It is not. D-Jax was never the same after Dunta Robinson blew him up. His routes changed forever to protect him. I am concerned that the same is likely to happen to Smith. Someone is gonna shatter his will as they shatter his 168 lb. body. The team will change his routes to protect him going forward and limit his impact forever.

Heck, the film may force them to do so before he gets tee'd up for a kill shot by some Safety.   if you could trade up to get him, J'Marr Chase was the guy to get early. Oh and the Heisman Trophy is usually a consolation prize given to a guy who peaked in college but ends up JAG in the NFL. If it were truly given to the best football player, more than 10% of winners would be in the HOF. As it is only 9 out of 85 got there...but I digress.

[EagleVA]

23 minutes ago, seengreen said:

Each week the struggles compound. Especially since Reagor is no threat. Hurts does not have repetitive accuracy and he lacks the vision or confidence to throw intermediate routes (20-30 yards mid-feild).

Exactly, Reagor is no threat at all. 

That pick in the endzone, he should have been playing defense when he saw the ball was underthrown, no, he became a spectator and just watched it happen......dude is horrible.

I blame Hurts' lack of intermediate routes on Sirianni, underneath and intermediate routes is the passing plays he should be calling,, I'm beginning to question his competency. 

[Mike030270]

He's got toughness for someone looking so skinny. There was one hit I was worried he was going to get injured on

[Kz!]

Yeah, we're three weeks into his NFL career. I think it's safe to write him off as a bust at this point. 

[Kwahu]

Need to see some all 22 analysis. Because I’m panicking. Somebody talk me down if you can.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

6 minutes ago, Kwahu said:

Need to see some all 22 analysis. Because I’m panicking. Somebody talk me down if you can.

What you panicking about bud?

[Swoop]

He's still on pace for 650+ yards with a garbage QB. 

Not great, but nothing to panic about either.

[QBhunter58]

4 minutes ago, Swoop said:

He's still on pace for 650+ yards with a garbage QB. 

Not great, but nothing to panic about either.

He will be fine, he has had 2 rough games but he is a gamer. The chief defense is suspect #rebound

[Kwahu]

22 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

What you panicking about bud?

His ability to get those 50/50 balls. Saw it a few times in his Bama tape if I recall but so far he’s struggled against old ass Josh Norman and Diggs.

[PoconoDon]

8 minutes ago, Kwahu said:

His ability to get those 50/50 balls. Saw it a few times in his Bama tape if I recall but so far he’s struggled against old ass Josh Norman and Diggs.

College to Pros is a huge step up in physicality. He's a stick figure so I  don't expect much improvement with 50/50 balls. In fact, I don't expect to see him going over the middle more than once or twice a game. They send him inside too much on crossing routes and he's gonna get broken.

[NOTW]

We have a long season to go to evaluate.  New coach, young QB in only his 7th start so still kind of a rookie at QB, and rookie WR.  Now they have 3/5 of the starting O line hurt (sound familiar) and a coach that is pass happy instead of using the run to set up the pass and keep the defense off the field (sound familiar?).

Reagor is nothing but a JAG and was a 1st round pick.  Ertz is on his way out, Goedert isn't exactly living up to the hype right now and arguably their best offensive weapon in Sanders doesn't get touches.

[Bwestbrook36]

4 minutes ago, NOTW said:

We have a long season to go to evaluate.  New coach, young QB in only his 7th start

This reminds me of every time I got a sheety employee... Well it's their first real job... At what point is it that he just sucks? Some employees were sheety on their first real job 4 yrs later. 

[MagicMoment]

Won the Heisman and played in the SEC yet EMB is writing him off after 3 games calling him a finesse player. 😂

Can't make this stuff up

[UK_EaglesFan89]

8 hours ago, Kwahu said:

His ability to get those 50/50 balls. Saw it a few times in his Bama tape if I recall but so far he’s struggled against old ass Josh Norman and Diggs.

And how much of that is on his chemistry with Hurts? I mean if Hurts connects on one of those long balls vs SF we are having a very different conversation. Let's not panic about Smith just yet hey. Its 3 games in to his nfl career in an offense that's actually struggled in 2 games.

[toolg]

Rookie WR, undersized, going up against the opposing team's best CBs each week, if not double-teamed. I think he's doing fine. I feel like the coaches need to work on schemes to get Smith open. Perhaps moving him around, putting him in motion, varying his routes, doubling him with other WRs making defenses switch coverage.

On 9/29/2021 at 2:19 AM, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

And how much of that is on his chemistry with Hurts? I mean if Hurts connects on one of those long balls vs SF we are having a very different conversation. Let's not panic about Smith just yet hey. Its 3 games in to his nfl career in an offense that's actually struggled in 2 games.

Hurts and Smith played together at Alabama, so there is history already. Hurts has not been good throwing the long ball, so he needs to hit Smith short and let him make plays with his legs. I think Smith is versatile enough, he can make plays running short or long routes.

[UK_EaglesFan89]

2 hours ago, toolg said:

Hurts and Smith played together at Alabama, so there is history already. Hurts has not been good throwing the long ball, so he needs to hit Smith short and let him make plays with his legs. I think Smith is versatile enough, he can make plays running short or long routes.

And this is why I'm not worried about Smith. If Smith struggles then I think that's more on Hurts right now than it is on Smith.