Philadelphia Eagles: Avonte Maddox sees big things in DeVonta Smith

Avonte Maddox doesn’t get enough credit for what he brings to the table for the Philadelphia Eagles.

He’s an unbelievable performer in the slot, a proven performer with 342 special teams snaps on his resume, and a versatile performer who can play basically every position across the defensive secondary.

Sidebar: Could the Eagles move Maddox to free safety in order to free up snaps for Josiah Scott in the slot? Sure. Should the Eagles move Maddox to free safety to free up a spot in the slot for Scott, Zech McPhearson, or another interior option? Well, to paraphrase Michael Scott, ‘No! God, no. Please, no! Nooooooo!‘

Well, in addition to all of his on-field achievements, which should include a 2021 Pro Bowl nod if we’re being honest, the Philadelphia Eagles front office can add future scout to Avonte Maddox’s player profile, as his assessment of second-year wide receiver DeVonta Smith is dead on.

Avonte Maddox and DeVonta Smith are foundational players for the Philadelphia Eagles.

What makes DeVonta Smith such a good NFL prospect/player. Is it his natural route running abilities? How about speed? Could it be his impeccable decision-making, choosing to take his talents to Alabama on the way to a Heisman Trophy?

Well, according to Philadelphia Eagles teammate Avonte Maddox, the answer is simple: Good old-fashioned hard work.

You see, Smith wants to be perfect; he wants to run the crispest routes, have the best technique versus press, and make the sort of catches that would make a circus performer blush. While he can’t magically add 50 pounds to his frame, as he may never weigh 200 pounds soaking wet, working on those aspects of his game are a big reason why Smitty went top-10 in the 2021 NFL Draft, broke the all-time Eagles rookie receiving record, and could have an even bigger, dare I say, 1,000 yard sophomore season.

Goodness, I guess Smith can do much more than simply run a very successful softball game.

With A.J. Brown set to line up on the opposite side of the field and the dynamic duo of Zach Pascal and Quez Watkins freeing up all sorts of different looks from Smith on the outside or deployed in the slot, Jalen Hurts and his collegiate teammate may just remain the greatest ticket in town despite a higher tide lifting all ships.

I mean, goodness, other than Darius Slay and James Bradberry, who would know how hard it is to guard Smith better than Maddox?

After undergoing the softest of reboots, the Philadelphia Eagles suddenly have a wealth of talent at key positions across the depth chart, especially at vital positions like cornerback, wide receiver, and defensive tackle. They’ve added some impeccably talented players in the draft like Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, signed veteran performers like Haason Reddick and James Bradberry, and even traded for A.J. Brown, who has top-10 wide receivers written all over him; that is, if he isn’t there already. And yet, the most exciting player on the roster might just be DeVonta Smith, who may no longer be the new man on campus but still has a mile-high potential, the heights of which Philly fans haven’t seen at wide receiver in decades.