Getty Georgia Football defender Nolan Smith speaking to the media at the NFL Combine.
Has there ever been a player better suited for Philadelphia than Nolan Smith? Jason Kelce, sure, but the bromance between the Eagles’ first-round pick and the fan base with a discerning taste continues to blossom. Smith demanded the playbook on draft night, then explained how hitting people keeps him warm.
Naturally, that made headlines in a city best known for a fictional boxer. But, Smith doesn’t just say things to say things. The lightning-quick pass rusher has a passion for contact, especially when it comes to rocking quarterbacks. He nearly got a sack on Jalen Hurts on July 30 after flushing him out of the pocket. After practice, Smith once again showed why he’s quickly turning into a fan-favorite player.
“A lot of things can be eliminated, you know … a lot of mistakes [can be eliminated] by just going fast and hitting the s*** out of somebody,” Smith said. “So that’s what I can’t wait to do.”
He’ll have to wait until at least the preseason opener on August 12 to put his words into action. No one is going to let him hit Hurts at practice. That’s okay. Smith has been all smiles at camp as he continues to stack reps while making at least one wow-factor play off the edge every day. It’s still amazing how he fell so hard in the first round of the draft.
“I tell people I’m like the BG of the group so I’m always smiling, always laughing, trying to get guys going,” Smith said. “And I tell ’em that we got the most perfect job in the world. We get to come out here and play football and fly around. Hit mother f****** so there ain’t nothing better than that.”
“I tell them we have the most perfect job in the world. We get to come out here, play football, fly around and hit motherf——s.”
Nolan Smith on helping to set the tone for Jordan Davis and Co.
Philly Dawgs Got a Group Chat Going
The so-called “Philly Dawgs” have a group chat going for all the Georgia alums to talk junk. The Eagles took three former Bulldogs in the 2023 draft (Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo), one year after selecting their former college teammates Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean. It’s a tight-knit group — they were texting furiously about the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence fight on Saturday night — and often meet up to go out to dinner or wander the town.
Dean and Davis are both stepping into starting roles for the Eagles in 2023. No one is better qualified to offer an opinion on the talent of those two players than Smith. Let’s start with Dean who is slated to be the new middle linebacker with T.J. Edwards gone.
“Stay ready, you don’t have to get ready, and my dawg been ready,” Smith said of Dean. “He been doing this since Day 1. Certain people hold themselves to a high standard and he’s an engineering major, so if you think his brain is worried about something like this, it ain’t. I just say, when you a high-standard person, and you hold yourself to a high standard, people will fall behind you every day, that’s what Nakobe is for me.”
There is zero doubt in Nolan Smith’s mind that Nakobe Dean is ready to step in and be the Eagles starter at LB.
Meanwhile, Davis — the new starter at defensive tackle after Javon Hargrave’s departure — is the same player he was at Georgia, only slightly trimmer with better dance moves.
“I know he like to dance so that’s the only time I really dance ever in my life is when I’m around JD,” Smith said. “His battery could be on E [empty] and I know he’ll give you that extra notch if I go up to him and go, ‘C’mon JD, baby, we need you.’ He’s not different, but he’s a lot slimmer and he got a mean get-off.”
Eagles Have Rebuilt Defense in 2023
Smith has been getting a nice chunk of first-team reps at camp as Haason Reddick recovers from groin soreness. The Eagles are going to rotate him in during the regular season. Bet on that. New defensive coordinator Sean Desai doesn’t appear scared of throwing his younger guys straight into the fire. Remember, the team is replacing five starters from last year’s defense.
“The challenge every year is to redefine and recreate your team,” Desai told reporters. “Even when there’s continuity and there’s a lot of starters that come back, it’s still a challenge for them to grow and learn from that. We don’t want to get caught in a place of complacency and rely on our past. So that’s the big thing.”
Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai shares what he has noticed from linebacker Nakobe Dean. @KYWNewsradio
The first-team defense at Sunday’s practice included defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Fletcher Cox, defensive ends Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat, safeties Terrell Edmunds and Reed Blankenship (K’Von Wallace came in for Edmunds at one point), cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay, and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Nicholas Morrow (Christian Elliss rotated in for Morrow).