Darius Slay believes DeVonta Smith will be regarded as the 'best receiver in the league' soon
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay is not holding back in his belief of receiver DeVonta Smith. Going up against him every day in practice, Slay has seen firsthand the strides Smith has made this offseason as he prepares to enter his third year in the NFL.
In fact, the cornerback has been so impressed that he’s ready to declare it won’t be long before Smith is considered is considered the best receiver in the league.
“He got all the tools,” Slay told NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “I told him, ‘You know, it ain’t going to be too much longer we’re going to be saying Smitty the best receiver in the league,’ for sure. It ain’t gonna be too much longer.
“I’m not gonna put a crazy [expectation] on him, but he’s got that type of ability to be that kind of guy. He could continue to keep doing what he’s doing and growing as a player, which I know he would. Yeah, it ain’t gonna be too much longer than that. We’re gonna have the best two [with AJ Brown], for sure.”
After winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in his senior season at Alabama, Smith was selected 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He wasted no time making an impact as a rookie to finish with 64 catches for 916 yards and five touchdowns.
Even with the addition of Brown from Tennessee in 2022, Smith continued to impress in his second season with the Eagles. He surpassed 1,000 yards for the first time, ranking ninth among all NFL receivers with 95 catches for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns.
Year 3 is typically when receivers truly have their breakout years, so it will be interesting to see whether Smith can improve on those numbers. Slay saw that potential from the start and believes it’s only a matter of time before he stakes his claim among the best of the best, highlighting his route-running abilities in particular.
“I’ve been telling him since he’s been a rookie, man, he’s way ahead of his class,” Slay said. “And his route-running ability, I told him the other day, ‘Man, you’re a guy that I’ve never seen before that can like adjust like that in the middle of pressing, hard press, motor catching, all that.’”
Philadelphia ranked ninth in the NFL this past season with 256.7 yards per game in making a Super Bowl appearance. With Smith looking to take another leap forward and Brown back along with quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles could be even better in 2023.