Nolan Smith signs rookie contract with Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles officially signed former Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith to his rookie contract, the team announced Monday.
Smith was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Eagles. Philadelphia selected his teammate, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, with the No. 9 overall pick.
Smith was projected as one of the defensive prospects in the draft class but slipped to the backend of the first round. The Eagles pounced.
Smith was a perennial starter and an important leader in Georgia’s back-to-back national championship wins. He ended his collegiate career with 114 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception. Smith started eight games last season for the Bulldogs before suffering from a season-ending torn pectoral muscle against Florida.
But Smith looked more than healthy at the NFL Combine, measuring in at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds and running the fastest 40-yard dash time among all front seven players with a blazing 4.39. He also had the highest vertical jump among all defensive lineman and linebackers at 41.5’’, putting his elite level of athleticism at the position on display for all to see.
As a member of the Class of 2019, Smith was a five-star recruit out of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 1 linebacker in the class and the No. 1 overall prospect in the class.
“He’s going to make their organization better, he’s going to make their community better,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Smith’s impact on an NFL franchise prior to the draft. “First of all, he’s a very bright individual. He’s a huge personality. He’s a hard-worker. He’s coachable. That’s why they draft those guys in the first round, they want to look and say, ‘Where are the pitfalls?’ When you look at Nolan Smith, you’re not going to get many. His character stands out. He’s got a great mom and grandma at home. They raised a bright, young man. He’s fun to be around. He texts me all the time.
“You can tell he’s just, I miss him. Because when you walk in the team meeting room he’s sitting there smiling, loud as hell. Always talking. They’re going to get a great personality, that I think he’ll represent whatever organization picks him, he’ll represent them the right way.”