Ex-Pro Bowl WR makes very bold DeVonta Smith prediction

Share

The Eagles went out on Thursday night and made it clear they want to have a dynamic No. 1 playmaker in their offense for the forseeable future, trading up with the Cowboys to pick Alabama's DeVonta Smith at No. 10.

Smith is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, but he was the No. 3 wide receiver off the board because some in the football world have concerns about his size despite him producing at historic levels in college against elite defenses.

One person who does not have those concerns? Six-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Fame candidate Reggie Wayne.

Wayne appeared on the Bleacher Report Draft Show on Thursday night, just minutes after the Eagles picked Smith, and was absolutely ecstatic for Eagles fans about the pick.

Here's what the Colts legend had to say about Smith's future in the NFL, including a bold proclamation about his rookie year:

"DeVonta Smith was my No. 1 receiver on the board. I know everyone was big on Ja'Marr Chase, and I was too, but DeVonta Smith? He can do it all. All the routes. It's a lot of knocks on him because he's small, but guess what? By far, every time he stepped on the field last year, and some of 2019, he was the best player on the field. That little guy, I don't want to hear no more talk about his weight. He let everybody know throughout the combine process, we're not bodybuilders, we're football players. This dude is a football player. Special, special, special. Eagles fans, you got you a dynamic playmaker.

"[...]

"I'm telling you here, you heard it here first: this is the Rookie of the Year. DeVonta Smith."

WELL THEN, REGGIE.

You've got to take that kind of enthusiasm from one of the great wide receivers of his era as a very, very good sign.

(For what it's worth, Wayne wasn't huge coming out of college but he also wasn't tiny - 198 pounds - so it's not just one thin dude sticking up for another.)

And Wayne's right: every scouting report we've heard during the Draft process has loved everything about Smith's game as a football player except for his size. You can always change your size by getting into an NFL facility and adhering to a pro-level fitness regimen, but you're going to struggle to make an okay football player a great one.

Smith is already a great one, and Wayne thinks Eagles fans should be absolutely thrilled.

Contact Us