Philadelphia Eagles: DeVonta Smith took it back to Amite High School

There’s a hot new rivalry at the November Center, one that no one knew we needed but is incredibly entertaining nonetheless: Darius Slay versus DeVonta Smith.

Now granted, a number one receiver and cornerback going at it in practice is nothing new. Any savvy head coach who wants to test his team’s mettle will have iron sharpen iron for at least a chunk of any given practice, but this situation is rather unique.

Why? Because the duo want to do so at the other’s position.

That’s right, as the old adage goes, every cornerback thinks they could excel at wide receiver, and every receiver thinks switching to the opposite side of the ball would be a breeze.

Who would win in such a swap? We may never know, as an in-game position swap is almost surely out of the question, but fans saw a glimpse of Smitty at cornerback in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ win over the Denver Broncos.

DeVonta Smith showed great ball awareness in the Philadelphia Eagles’ win.

In high school, DeVonta Smith played both sides of the ball.

While he ultimately decided to pursue playing wide receiver at Alabama, a university with an storied history of success at the position, Smith was a very in-demand prospect as a cornerback too, where his side, speed, and length are effectively prototypical.

Jim Naggy, the Senior Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, suggested as much on Twitter Sunday evening, informing his followers that the staff in Tuscaloosa (Alabama) believed that Smith would have been a first-round pick if he stuck to the defensive side of the ball full-time.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant? Because Smith went full-on “Peanut” Tillman in the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over the Denver Broncos, pulling off an Alabama first-round pick-on-Alabama first-round pick crime by punching a would-be interception out of the hands of his former teammate, Patrick Surtain II.

Didn’t happen to catch the play in question? Well, watch it here.

Now, as Albert Breer pointed out, this is pretty advanced stuff for the rookie. Smith saw that Surtain positioned himself under his comeback route in the Cover 2 look and was eyeing to record his second interception of the season. Smith stopped, shot into the air, and made a play on the ball as it sailed into Surtain’s hands, knocking it to the floor in his first official NFL pass breakup.

Between you and me, I’m sort of sad Smith didn’t pull a Jalen Mills and wag his finger, but hey, winners can’t be choosers.

To make matters all the more impressive, that wasn’t the first play in which Smith “beat” Surtain. No, earlier in the afternoon/evening, Smith hauled in a highlight-reel touchdown with his former fellow Crimson Tide member draped on him, marking his first of two touchdowns in the game and fourth overall on the season overall. Say what you will about the throw and the decision-making behind it, but Jalen Hurts trusted Smith to make a play and make a play he did.

All in all, not a bad way to spend your 23rd birthday.

Now granted, Darius Slay wasn’t a slouch in the Philadelphia Eagles win either, as he also scored a touchdown of his own in an impressive fashion by weaving through the Denver Broncos’ offensive players on a scoop and score, but his play was far more reminiscent of a punt return than a route-running wide receiver. No, if anyone put a point on the board in their competition Legolas and Gimli in The Two Towers-style, it was the Birthday boy, as he turned back the clock to his Amite High School days when his team needed him most. Your play, Slay.