Nolan Smith signs rookie contract with Philadelphia Eagles
The bank account belonging to former Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith just got a big boost. Philadelphia has announced the signing of their No. 30 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Details of the deal have not been made available but according to Spotrac.com, Smith’s rookie deal is worth, approximately, just under $12 million in total over four years. The signing bonus will pay him around $5.7 million but the overall amount of guaranteed money is not yet known.
Smith was the Eagles’ second pick of the first round in the 2023 NFL Draft. The first pick was also a Bulldog. That was Jalen Carter, taken No. 9 overall. Of the 2023 first-round picks, Carter was the first to sign his rookie contract. His deal was worth $21.8 million and it’s fully-guaranteed.
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who was drafted by Pittsburgh with the No. 14 overall pick, has not yet signed his rookie contract. When he does it will be worth around $16.6 million in all.
Smith left his mark at Georgia…
As a Bulldog, Smith piled up 110 total tackles (63 solo) with 20 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks in 46 career games. He also had 23 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, and a handful of pass breakups.
The Savannah native was off to a tremendous start in 2023 before suffering a torn pectoral muscle against Florida. That happened in the eighth game of the season and it required surgery. Smith would miss the final seven games of the year but stayed with the team throughout it’s National Championship run.
The NFL Combine is where Smith really took off as an NFL Draft prospect. There he ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.39 seconds.
As a high school recruit…
While Smith is originally from Savannah, he finished his high school football career at IMG Academy, a boarding school in Bradenton, Fla. There he blossomed into a blue-chip prospect.
Smith committed to Georgia in January of 2017 and took full advantage of the recruiting process for most of the next 23 months. He took unofficial and official visits but never really wavered in his commitment to the Bulldogs.
By the time the dust settled on the 2023 class, Smith was the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking. He signed with Georgia in December of 2019 and joined the program less than a month later.
