Philadelphia Eagles’ second-year pass rusher Nolan Smith received some love from head coach Nick Sirianni for his reason performance against the Baltimore Ravens on Friday night.
“Really noticed Nolan Smith getting to the football,” Sirianni said after the game. “He has this outstanding speed and this high motor. And on the one, they had a pretty good screen called on us and he came flying out of the stack and made a big play.”
Smith’s sack came in the third quarter, which he followed up by chasing down a screen on the next snap.
You mean this @SmithNoland2 sack? 😤 https://t.co/dPI7yJtJtM pic.twitter.com/TE4NhhCumi
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 10, 2024
Nolan Smith starts at the top of the screen and ends up being in on the tackle on a screen pass to the bottom of the screen. I love the effort he gives every snap. pic.twitter.com/Yk5lBZOtie
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) August 10, 2024
While it was “just” a preseason game, any tape helps to prove that Smith has taken a step in the right direction ahead of his Year 2 season.
The former Georgia Bulldog could be on tap for a breakout Year 2
When the Eagles originally selected Smith with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, expectations were high for the Georgia product.
Instead, Smith was buried on the depth chart.
“A lot of people think you’re supposed to come into the league and dominate and do all of this and that,” he said back in June. “I have the same hopes and dreams that everyone has for me. I want to get 10-plus sacks and do all of that. But realistically, it’s a learning curve. These guys have been in here for 15 years, these guys have been in here for a long time.”
He finished his rookie season with a disappointing 18 tackles, three QB hits, and a single sack.
But now with Haason Reddick out of the picture, Smith will get a chance to redeem himself this fall in the Eagles’ revamped defense under Vic Fangio.
In order to get ready for that larger workload Smith bulked up this offseason, going from 238 to 245.
“I’m coming in a little more bulky,” he said. “… I just want to get there, just personally. Me and Coach Wash talked about it, and he feels comfortable with that. He said, ‘As long as I keep my speed, we good.’”
Smith was nothing short of explosive in Friday night’s 16-13 win over Baltimore, so it looks like that extra weight has only benefited him.
And we’ll get to see more of his development in the Eagles’ next preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 15.
