Nolan Smith suffers concussion in Week 6

The Georgia Gazette noted Smith was booked on May 15th for speeding in excess of maximum limits and reckless driving. The 25-year-old was driving 137 miles per hour in a 70 mile-per-hour zone in his home state of Georgia, where he also attended the University of Georgia to play college football. It is still undetermined if the NFL or the Eagles have some form of punishment for Smith, but he is set to enter a pivotal year with the Eagles picking up his fifth-year option last month.

The Eagles selected Smith with the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The fourth-year linebacker has totaled 10.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his first three seasons with the team while racking up 91 tackles, and was instrumental in the team’s Super Bowl championship run, where he totaled four sacks in four postseason games. Smith is now under contract through the 2027 season and could be in line for an extension before his new deal is up if he’s able to string together a breakout campaign in 2026.

Smith suffered a triceps injury in Week 3’s win over the Rams and has been sidelined ever since. The third-year pro totaled 10 tackles and one forced fumble in the three games he appeared in this season, and totaled a career-high 6.5 tackles last season. He should immediately slot into his normal role on Monday night against the Packers.

The Eagles activated Smith’s 21-day practice window on Tuesday, and he appears to be on track to retake the field on Monday night. In late September, Smith re-injured the same triceps muscle he tore in Super Bowl LIX. Fortunately, he rehab plan has evidently gone according to plan, as a return “around” the Eagles’ Week 9 bye was the goal.

Smith reportedly re-injured the triceps muscle that he tore during Super Bowl LIX. He underwent surgery to repair the torn tissue this offseason. The Eagles believe Smith will not require surgery and hope to have him back “around” their Week 9 bye. Players placed on injured reserve are eligible to return after missing four games. The Eagles also placed CB Jakorian Bennett and WR Darius Cooper on injured reserve with undisclosed injuries. Both players are likewise expected to avoid surgery and are expected to return around Week 9. The Eagles signed S Marcus Epps, TE Cameron Latu, and CB Parry Nickerson to the active roster, and LB Lance Dixon, DB Eli Ricks, and WR Quez Watkins to the practice squad.

The second-year first-round pick out of Georgia evidently played through the injury in the second half. He went under the knife Wednesday and is expected to be ready for Week 1. More than likely, he will be good to go for training camp. 2024 was a nice leap for Smith after he made zero rookie starts. He played roughly 70 percent of the Eagles’ snaps and tallied 6.5 sacks. That does not include the four QB takedowns he logged during the postseason. Heading into his age-24 campaign, Smith could make another big leap.

Smith is one of several Georgia Bulldogs who will now suit up for the Eagles this season. Smith is an elite defender who played a key role on Georgia’s national championship-winning teams. He brings elite athleticism and a solid production profile to a defense that could use him all over the field, and will likely work his way into an every-down role.

A former number one overall rated recruit from the 2019 prep cycle according to 247Sports, the IMG Academy product has been a fixture on the vaunted Georgia defense since arriving on campus in 2019. An ace closer, Smith (6’22/238) only missed eight tackle attempts in his four years as a Bulldog and is almost impossible to beat to the sideline on outside runs. Despite being undersized by traditional standards, his bend, get off and ability to flatten after blowing away tackles with his blinding speed are rare, even in a loaded edge class. Smith’s 4.39s 40 is the second fastest time ever run by an edge defender while his blistering 1.47s 10-yard split is a 100th percentile score that portrays the limitless athletic traits Smith possesses. He was limited to just 188 snaps in 2022 but produced 19 pressures in that span while meaning a pristine 90.6 rush defense grade in 2021. His outrageous physical gifts and high-end production bode well for Smith’s transition to the next level as an omnipresent standup 3-4 linebacker who never comes off the field.

The top spot belongs to Will Anderson who is one of the best pass rushers we have seen in years. The second spot was a question but Brugler believes it to be Smith (6'3/235). He cites his twitchy athleticism as his best trait, something he uses to get to the quarterback and to stop the run. If he can improve his play strength, that will go a long way in securing a spot at the top of his edge rankings come April.

Smith (6'3/235) was listed as a top-five pick in a recent way-too-early 2023 mock draft by The Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield. That’s not without reason as he looks to be one of the best defensive players in the SEC this upcoming season. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith’s 90.6 run defense grade led conference EDGEs in 2021. It will be interesting to see how he expands upon that in 2022.