Eagles WR DeVonta Smith Appears on PFF’s ‘Top 25 Under 25’
Pro Football Focus -- always an outlet that draws strong reactions -- released their top 25 players under 25 years old rankings earlier this week, a countdown that did include representation for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Receiver DeVonta Smith, preparing for his third NFL season, checked in at No. 16 on the countdown:
"Smith is on track to be one of the top young receivers in the game, if you don’t already believe he’s there," PFF writes. "He recorded a 77.6 receiving grade in 2021 and took a nice jump to 81.1 in 2022 as part of the Eagles’ offensive surge that propelled them to the Super Bowl. His passer rating when targeted was 113.9 with a low drop percentage of 5.2%."
Among those under 25, Smith came in as the sixth-highest ranked receiver, slotting in behind Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Jaylen Waddle and Tee Higgins.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Smith benefited from the addition of star receiver A.J. Brown in his second season, catching 95 passes for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns in a breakout year for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Smith will become eligible to discuss a new contract with the Eagles after the 2023 campaign. If the former Hesiman Trophy winner has another big year, one would think general manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles will be motivated to sign him to a long-term extension.
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