NFL Draft 2021: Eagles make splash with DeVonta Smith
By Andrew Tineo
The Eagles made the first impact trade in the draft with a massive weapon for Jalen Hurts in wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
The Alabama to Miami connection was not the only one of the evening. After no movement through the first nine picks, the Eagles made the rare decision of trading with an in-division rival to pick a player.
After circulations of moving up for a playmaker came into fruition, with the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner landing in Philly after the Eagles moved up to take DeVonta Smith.
Smith lit up the college football world, accumulating 1,823 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final season at Alabama.
This pick sends shockwaves around the division, similar to the pick the Cowboys made just a year ago with acquiring CeeDee Lamb when many expected to go the defensive route.
The Eagles have done a lot with their original No.6 overall pick. A month prior to the draft, Philadelphia moved back to No. 12, before making the trade with Dallas to move up two spots.
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With the NFC East of Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys going consecutively, there was a chance chaos could happen.
With the pick, the Hurts-Smith connection returns, adding firepower to the outside for a young quarterback to help give clarity to the future of the organization.
Smith collected every single award a wide receiver could during his final season in Tuscaloosa and has a rare combination of length and speed.
With the best two wide receivers the previous year being a converted QB and Travis Fulgham, this gives the Eagles offense an immediate jolt. Reagor is hoping to stay healthy in his second season and Dallas Goedert is looking to be more of an impact.
This is a homerun selection and was made in part, due to the worry of the Giants picking him at 11.