3 Eagles on the Chopping Block After 2024 Minicamp

1. Nolan Smith, EDGE

Nolan Smith was a bit of a reach in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Georgia pass-rusher had several football-related red flags that were ignored. He's undersized for the position at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds and has smaller arms than normal for an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

His production at UGA left a lot to be desired as well. In four years, Smith had just 11.5 sacks, never going for more than 3.5 in a single season. Despite these red flags, the Eagles took him 30th overall. Perhaps they were enamored by his 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash, or maybe they believed they could only draft players from Georgia. Whatever it was, this was one of the few decisions from Howie Roseman that deserves to be questioned.

Smith played in all 17 games, registering 188 snaps on defense and 245 on special teams. He finished with just 18 tackles and one sack while being credited with four quarterback pressures.

Philadelphia might be willing to let him develop but they're not going to sit around and wait. Roseman stayed proactive by re-signing Brandon Graham for another season and adding Bryce Huff in free agency. They also returned Josh Sweat and selected Jalyx Hunt in the third round from Houston Christian.

Smith might not be cut, due in large part to his draft status, but he's in danger of falling all the way down the depth chart. He could find himself inactive for the majority of the upcoming season, which would be detrimental to his development. The Eagles should be praised for their approach since they're handing him nothing and forcing him to earn his time on the field.

More Eagles coverage: