Getty Darius Slay of the Philadelphia Eagles.
As a rookie last season, Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Nolan Smith served as a reserve, appearing in all 17 games as a rookie while playing just 16% of Philly’s defensive snaps.
Now, heading into Year 2, the 2023 first-round pick will attempt to fill the void left by top pass rusher Haason Reddick, who was traded to the New York Jets this offseason.
He’s also getting some big hype from his teammate, Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay. On the June 28 episode of former Eagles defensive end Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast, Slay singled out the play of Smith in particular, which he says has been noticeably different.
“He looks a lot different this year,” Slay said about the second-year pass rusher, before elaborating a bit on what he’s been seeing.
Darius Slay on Nolan Smith: ‘It’s Going to Be a Special Year’
As a rookie, Smith played 55% of Philadelphia’s special teams snaps last season. He finished with 18 total tackles (one for loss), 3 quarterback hits and 1.0 sacks. He was in a reserve role behind Reddick, and with Reddick now in New York, that role just got a lot bigger. Slay seems to think Smith is up for the challenge.
“One thing I can say about Nolan, ever since I met Nolan, he only knows one speed,” Slay said (h/t Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated). “He’s one of the guys you have to watch out for. He hits teammates and everybody. He’s been in practice, man. He’s the guy that’s going to run to the ball. … He’s not a 10-yard guy. He’s more like: I’m trying to ‘see ball, get ball.'”
Slay thinks the game is slowing down enough for the second-year pass rusher to have a memorable season.
“It’s going to be a special year for him this year, man, especially after learning behind Haason Reddick all year. I think he’s going to be very special.”
Smith Finished His 2024 Campaign on a High Note
Nolan Smith off the edge!! Smith and Cox split the sack. Smith celebrating with BG makes me so happy.
While he didn’t fill the stat sheet much as a rookie last year, Smith some memorable moments in his first career playoff game. In the Eagles’ wild card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he played well, finishing with four total tackles, a QB hit and 0.5 sacks.
“In retrospect, just seeing him certainly in the playoff game, one of the guys who played well in the playoff game, maybe giving him a little bit more time during the year and experience, we talked about that,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said in March, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He’s got all the right tools in his body. He’s got the right mentality. And at the same time, he’s got to go out and show it.”
Heading into this season, Smith has also put an emphasis on getting into better shape, noting he has put on some muscle. He says he’s now 245 pounds after weighing in at 238 last season. It’s not a huge difference, but getting stronger and potentially faster can’t be a bad thing. And according to Slay, Smith is already looking noticeable improved.
We’ll see how he looks when the regular season rolls around.