2021 NFL Draft: Why did DeVonta Smith fall to the Eagles?
Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the tenth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night.
Being picked in the top 10 of the draft is quite the accomplishment when you think about how many NCAA players are eligible to be picked. But if the player is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner from the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide, it could be a head-scratcher as to why nine teams passed on him.
DeVonta Smith was the best wide receiver in college football in 2020. He has great hands and makes difficult plays seem effortless. But there have been a few concerns that NFL teams have raised when deciding whether or not to draft DeVonta Smith.
Why did DeVonta Smith fall to the Eagles?
As per the University of Alabama's website, DeVonta Smith is 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, which is a bit slender for a receiver in the NFL.
Smith refused to be measured or submit measurements as part of the NFL Combine virtual process this season. This left some wondering what his true height, weight, wingspan and hand measurements are.
This seems like a small detail for a wide receiver that makes the types of plays that DeVonta Smith does, but for NFL teams it means much more. Teams apparently were worried that he would be resistant to putting on muscle and weight and questioned why he hadn't done it himself in the pre-draft process.
The only injury concern for DeVonta Smith was the dislocated finger he suffered during Alabama's victory over Ohio State in the national championship game. But it wasn't serious and it didn't seem like a lingering injury.
While some see it as something to do with DeVonta Smith's size, could it just be that the teams that passed on him had more pressing needs than a wide receiver?
The Philadelphia Eagles were always interested in Davonta Smith, even before they initially traded their first-round pick. Last night they did it yet again when the Denver Broncos passed up Smith and the Dallas Cowboys weren't looking to draft a wide receiver.
Some suggest that teams believe they can get wide receivers in the later rounds of the draft. But the point remains that none of them are of the caliber of Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and they could perhaps regret passing on a talent like him.