The Philadelphia Eagles welcomed a key piece of the puzzle on the offensive side of the ball back to the practice field on Wednesday, and it didn't take long for the former first-round pick to make his presence felt.
With Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and A.J. Brown dominating the headlines, it can be easy to forget that the Eagles have a Heisman Trophy winner on the outside as well, in DeVonta Smith. Well, fans of other teams across the league won't like the reports coming out of Philadelphia's training camp on Wednesday, as Smith reminded the football world why he is just as dangerous as any other skill position player on the Eagles' roster.
According to Zach Berman of AllPHLY.com, Smith made a pair of impressive catches look relatively easy in his return to practice thanks to his elite footwork and route-running abilities.
Buy your DeVonta Smith stock now. Practices like today show why DeVonta Smith is so special on the Eagles. The Eagles were working on backed-up situations. Twice, Smith wiggled open (including a got-to-have-it third down) for what looked like easy completions. But they only look…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) August 4, 2025
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith Makes Immediate Impact in Return to Practice
Even though he is coming off of a "down" year, as Berman suggested, he reeled in a career-best eight touchdowns to go along with 68 receptions and 833 receiving yards during the 2024 campaign despite only suiting up for 13 regular-season games. That consistent play continued into the postseason as Smith recorded 16 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown over four games to help Philadelphia lay claim to another Super Bowl championship.
Now, he enters the 2025 season looking to build off of what he and his teammates accomplished this past year. While it is great to see Smith making this type of impact in practice, the stakes will be raised once the final scores count towards the Eagles' overall record.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout has a connection with Jalen Hurts in the passing game. Both sides would benefit from continuing to grow their relationship so that the two can keep flourishing as part of Philadelphia's offensive attack.
After signing a three-year, $75 million extension that keeps him with the Eagles through the 2028 season, Smith would be best served to do what is needed to live up to that contract, as the wide receiver will begin receiving significant pay raises starting in 2026.