Devonta Smith was drafted with the 10th overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 draft and has been a godsend for Eagles fans everywhere. Smith was drafted at a time when Eagles GM Howie Roseman kept on failing at drafting the wide receiver spot most notably passing on Justin Jefferson for Jalen Reagor in the 2020 draft. But after winning the 2020 Heisman Trophy there was no way the Slim Reaper was going to be a miss at the position this time around for the Eagles.
Devonta Smith’s Franchise Record-Breaking Rookie Season
Devonta Smith in his rookie season in 2021 proved to Eagles fans everywhere that the Eagles finally hit the home run when it comes to drafting a receiver. Smith would go on to break Desean Jackson’s Eagles franchise rookie record for receiving yards in a season with 916 receiving yards on 64 receptions in 2021.
Smith found the end zone 5 times in his rookie season. Although Bengals wide receiver Jamar Chase dominated the headlines with his rookie season that year, Smith proved to be just as a valuable asset to dynasty owners everywhere. Then the birth of one of the top new WR duos would happen the following season.
The Arrival of AJ Brown Benefited Devonta Smith Immensely
The Eagles would make a huge draft day trade with the Tennessee Titans for AJ Brown, which was another genius move by Roseman to elevate this offense to the next level. We saw right away in 2022 how effective this offense became with the addition of Brown and how it elevated everyone’s game including Smith’s game.
Devonta and AJ became the new WR duo that the Eagles needed to get them back on top as they both eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards, with Smith tallying a team-leading 95 receptions for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns leading to a Super Bowl appearance in his second season. The 2023 season was a disappointment as a whole for the Eagles after starting 10-1, to end up losing 6 of the last 7 games including a 32-9 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card in January. Smith was one of the positives in 2023, he tallied 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Devonta Smith’s Dynasty Value Going Forward
If you have Devonta Smith on your dynasty rosters in your dynasty leagues you are in a great spot. Devonta Smith is coming off a great playoff performance against the Buccaneers where he had 8 receptions for 148 yards in that game. Granted that was without AJ Brown for that game so he was the de facto No.1 receiver. But that shows that Devonta is reliable when some other people on the team are hurt.
The reason going forward that Smith will be a huge play in dynasty leagues is that new offensive coordinator Kellan Moore’s offense is going to unlock the Heisman winner Devonta Smith on a smaller scale as the WR 2. According to Philly Media, Smith has been seen in the slot a lot more in training camp to this point. This means more routes over the middle of the field in 2024 and going forward.
The weakness for the Eagles offense last season was too many deep routes for Smith and Brown down the field and the lack of the intermediate routes in the middle of the field. Kellan Moore should unlock that for both Smith, Brown and Dallas Goedert in 2024, with Smith most likely being the main benefactor of the new offense. ESPN’s Daniel Dopp and Field Yates also see this potential in Devonta Smith as a consistent option in fantasy for 2024 even with the addition of Saquon Barkley.
Smith will help win you in dynasty leagues as he is going to still be a part of this offense for a long time in Philly after signing a team-friendly extension to stay with the Eagles and keep building what they have in Philly for years to come.
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