With the Eagles trade of A.J. Brown to the Patriots finally executed this week, there is a potential void at the top of Philadelphia’s depth chart.
But left tackle Jordan Mailata doesn’t feel like the Eagles will be missing anything at all.
He told reporters on Tuesday that DeVonta Smith is more than prepared to take over.
“He’s always been a No. 1 receiver. Nothing has changed for Smitty,” Mailata said, via Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Smitty’s always led from the front. So that narrative, we can shut that down now, because Smitty’s always led from the front. Just because he never wore that captain’s patch the last two years, didn’t mean that he wasn’t a captain in the locker room.
“But he always led from the front, and that’s why I’m calling it now, when he wears that captain’s patch this year, there’s no surprise. He’s always been a captain in my eyes, just from the way he’s led, the way he’s always gone about his business on and off the field. So he’s just awesome.”
Smith, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2021 draft, has eclipsed 1,000 yards in three of his five seasons. In 2025, he caught 77 passes for 1,008 yards with four touchdowns.
