Smith will cement himself as one of the best receivers this season
Let me start by saying that DeVonta Smith is one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Some fans don’t believe Smith is a top receiver in the NFL, but while I respect other opinions on this topic, that doesn’t mean those opinions are correct. Smith was honored on the NFL Top 100 players list, but he was only listed as No. 100, which is craziness.
In his first two seasons in the NFL, Smith caught 159 passes for 2,112 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has not missed a single game, playing in all 34 potential games and all four postseason games.
Last season, Smith’s 95 receptions were 11th best in the NFL, his 1,196 yards were ninth best in the NFL, and his seven touchdowns were 15th best in the NFL. In the postseason, Smith added another 15 receptions, 197 yards, and one score. His 100 yards in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was the most for either team.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is no stranger to good stats. During his senior year at Alabama, when he won the award, Smith had 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. However, Smith was the No. 1 target for his offense at Bama.
In the NFL, even with those great stats from last season, Smith was the No. 2 target in Philadelphia behind A.J. Brown. Smith’s 136 targets were good enough for 14th best in the NFL, but when you look at targets per
game, Smith’s eight targets per game were only good enough for 20th in the NFL.
When you factor in Brown’s presence, that the Eagles were 23rd in the NFL for attempted passes, Philadelphia’s offense was third in the NFL for rushing attempts, fifth for rushing yards, and first for rushing touchdowns, it really puts into perspective how impressive Smith’s 2022 season was.
You can only play the cards you are dealt, but Smith is playing them and then some. Smith makes the most of his opportunities, and when he touches the ball, good things happen.
The Eagles could not only trust Smith to make plays, but they could also trust him on the most important down in football: third down. Smith was ninth in the NFL with 18 third-down receptions that led to a first down, and 11th in the NFL for all combined first-down receptions.
Not only did he move the chains, but he also picked up the 10th most yards after catch in the NFL for receivers, with 476 yards.
With all these impressive numbers in mind, start thinking about how much better Smith can be this season. Jalen Hurts continues to progress as a passer, and teams will try to make the Eagles beat them through the air.
Before the start of the 2022 season, I predicted that Hurts would have a breakout season. After finishing second in the MVP voting and becoming a superstar in the NFL, I would say Hurts had a breakout season.
In 2023, even though his stats have already been really good, I believe Smith will break out even more than he already has and cement himself as one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Look for him to catch 100-plus passes for 1,400-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns in 2023.