DeVonta Smith is all business

Smith has done that, no doubt about it. In his rookie season, Smith contributed 64 receptions for 916 yards (an Eagles record for rookie wide receivers) and 5 touchdowns. Smith played 82 percent of the offensive snaps, resting only because the Eagles forced him to the sidelines. It was a terrific rookie season, and yet Smith wasn’t satisfied because, well, he’s never satisfied. “There are a lot of things I can work on and improve on,” he said after that campaign. “Routes, timing, catching the football. Everything.”

See, that’s just the way Smith conducts his business. If he isn’t moving forward, he isn’t making progress. And if he isn’t making progress, he’s not going to live long in the NFL, because it’s a move-ahead business. If you stay in one place, Smith reasons, someone is going to pass you by.

So, in the offseason before his second NFL year, Smith went to work. He got stronger, he improved his route-running skills, he worked on his hands. He studied film. He watched himself and tore apart his game. He studied defensive backs and looked acutely at the way they were playing against him, trying to take advantage of those 170 pounds and drill him into the ground.

When the Eagles’ 2022 season began, Smith was a better player. And the Eagles were a better offense, having added wide receiver A.J. Brown in an offseason trade. The big-bodied Brown, who muscles his way to create separation from defensive backs, gave the Eagles two No. 1-level receivers, and while some fans and media wondered how the two standout pass catchers would handle sharing the spotlight, both Smith and Brown understood what having the two of them on the field meant: Teams couldn’t concentrate on just Smith, or on Brown alone.

They had to take their chances with both players. And that gave the Eagles a decided advantage.

“A.J. is a great player and I knew that he would help this offense and our team win games. That’s what it’s all about,” Smith said. “We’re in this game to win. I never worried about how I would be used or how many passes I would have thrown my way. That stuff takes care of itself. I just had to do my job and it would all be fine.”