Another Eagles Defender Is On The Verge Of Breaking Through

Second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith set the tone in a win over Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - The 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 16 with the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL.

And that defense might have had its best performance during a 27-13 win over Pittsburgh this past Sunday. 

Vic Fangio’s students allowed just 163 total yards – 56 on the ground and 107 through the air – 10 first downs and limited the Steelers to just a 30% conversion rate on third downs.

Pittsburgh had two yards in the first quarter and two drives in the second half.

When talking about the Eagles’ one-year shift from near-worst to first on defense, it starts with Fangio, a dynamic interior game-wrecker in Jalen Carter, high-level linebacker play from Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean, as well as rookie standouts Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean elevating the cornerback position.

The unintended consequence of injury to Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff on the edge may have revealed another foundational piece for Fangio in emerging second-year standout Nolan Smith.

Smith set the tone with his energy, hustle, and physicality against the Steelers, playing 41 of the Eagles’ 43 defensive snaps and filling up the stat sheet with four tackles – two for loss –  a sack, two quarterback hits, and a pass breakup.

“He's done a good job of improving each and every day,” Fangio said when discussing Smith. “Maybe not each and every day, but each and every week from the start of OTAs through training camp. He's really taken it and put it on himself to improve and learn his position, learn the techniques of his position, learn the ins and outs of his position that can help him make a play or two.”

Coming out Smith was tabbed as a high-level, pass-rushing prospect because of his unique athleticism. Lost in the sauce for those only scouting measurables was that the undersized 6-foot-2, 238-pound prospect excelled in setting the edge at Georgia, a trait that has translated to the NFL.

“We know he has good speed and he is a good athlete. He's been able to amp up his physicalness to make up for his lack of size-- the ideal size for the position,” Fangio explained.

The secret for Smith is embracing the difficulties of his position, according to Fangio. 

“It's unusual in today's day, but again, like you said, I think you used the right word. You said embrace it. You’ve got to embrace the challenges of your position, everybody does, where they might be a little deficient either from a size or a movement standpoint and learn to work with it, and he's done that,” Fangio said.

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