New on Sports Illustrated: Eagles Acquire No. 10 Pick in Trade With Cowboys, Draft DeVonta Smith

-

The Eagles snagged one of the draft's top receivers after a trade with Dallas on Thursday night.

View the
original article to see embedded media.

Last year's Heisman Trophy winner has found a new home. The Eagles have selected Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith with the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Smith was the third receiver taken in the first round, following Ja'Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle. The dynamic playmaker put together a historic senior season in Tuscaloosa, leading the country in catches (117), receiving yards (1,856) and receiving touchdowns (23) to become the first wide receiver in 29 years to win the Heisman Trophy.

Smith saved his best for last, hauling in 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State in the national championship game, which Alabama won, 52-24.

For his career, Smith totaled nearly 4,000 receiving yards and 48 total touchdowns. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2017 when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime of Alabama's national championship game win over Georgia.

The Eagles traded up to the No. 10 slot to acquire Smith on Thursday. They sent Dallas the No. 12 and No. 84 picks in the 2021 draft in order to move up two slots.

Despite his record-breaking season, questions about Smith's ability to play at the next level lingered during the pre-draft process, largely due to his small frame. Smith measured at 6'1" and 170 pounds, though Alabama coach Nick Saban was adamant that Smith's small stature will not prevent him from being successful in the NFL.

"Tell me how many receivers are tougher than he is—that block better, that play more physical than he does—so I think maybe there's a time when you say 'This guy really overcomes the fact that he's not the biggest guy in the world and he really plays this game really, really well,'" Saban said in March. "I don't think anybody can argue that fact."

More NFL Draft Coverage:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 80 Prospect Rankings

-
Image
Ranking the top 80 players in the 2021 NBA draft with the NCAA tournament in the rearview. View the original article to see embedded media. With three months until draft night and the NBA’s regular season winding down , the league at large has begun shifting full focus to the off-season. Players have until May 30 to declare as early entrants for the draft, after which point the predraft process will open up in full, leading up to the combine and lottery at the end of June . Our Big Board is long overdue for an update, and fully expanded out to 80 prospects as we all attempt to make sense of the big picture moving forward. As usual, the Big Board is primarily based on my personal evaluations from both live viewings and on film, in many cases dating back several years. The rankings also incorporate feedback and opinions I glean from NBA executives, scouts, and others around the industry. This is not a mock draft, and team fit is not considered, but it is also intended to be somewhat
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: The Patriots’ Post-Brady Era Begins Now

-
Image
In Mac Jones, Bill Belichick drafted a Round 1 quarterback for the first time ever—and looks to usher in a return to dominance. Of course the first time Bill Belichick drafts a first-round quarterback, it’s one for whom he could get an unvarnished scouting report from good buddy Nick Saban —and without even having to do any draft-day maneuvering. Now, the post-Tom Brady era in New England really begins. The Patriots treated 2020 as something of a gap year, with a league-high eight opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a starting quarterback, Cam Newton, who didn't sign with the team until June. They were, for the first time in two decades, mediocre, but that 7–9 record bought them the ticket to a fresh start: the No. 15 pick, which they used Thursday night on Alabama QB Mac Jones. The oft-cited statistic that Belichick had never drafted a QB higher than pick No. 62—used on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014—was inherently flawed, given that Belichick had Brady as a starter for 19 of
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NCAA Board of Governors Unanimously Votes to Extend Mark Emmert’s Contract

-
Despite recent controversy, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to extend Mark Emmert's contract through 2025. The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to extend president Mark Emmert's contract through Dec. 31, 2025. The news was announced Tuesday as a one-line news item buried within a larger update after the board's quarterly meeting. He's the fifth president in NCAA history and has been in the role since 2010. Emmert previously held high-ranking roles at Washington, LSU, Connecticut and Montana State. His base salary is reportedly $2.7 million.  Within the announcement, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to updating name, image and likeness rules. Dellenger: Inside the Hidden Industry of Name, Image and Likeness and the Changing World for College Athletes Emmert came under fire after disparities were shown between the men's and women's college basketball tournaments this year, specifically the weight room. Prior to the public backlash,
Read more