Philadelphia Eagles: 6 thoughts on the decision to draft DeVonta Smith
By David Esser
Jalen Hurts -> DeVonta Smith connection.
Former teammates at Alabama, the connection that Jalen Hurts and Smith develop together in 2021 should be a fun one to watch. There’s been reports all offseason long that the Philadelphia Eagles front office wasn’t particularly sold on Hurts heading into the draft, but the addition of Smith could signal otherwise.
Drafting a WR in the first round doesn’t necessarily mean the Eagles are “all in” on Hurts as some have been quick to suggest, but it definitely puts the former second-round pick in a better position to succeed moving forward.
Not only does Hurts have preexisting chemistry with Smith, but he also obtained himself a proper WR1 to target tonight, as previously stated.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Eagles had the chance to draft Justin Fields and Mac Jones at 10, and passed on both. While I don’t think the Eagles ever had any serious interest in someone like Jones, there were plenty of reports that circulated this offseason in regards to Roseman liking Justin Fields.
As things stand currently, it’s looking like Howie Roseman prioritized pairing DeVonta Smith up with Jalen Hurts, as opposed to “starting over” with a new franchise quarterback.