If there’s one position group the Philadelphia Eagles could absolutely not stand to lose any depth, it’s probably at edge rusher.
That’s why the latest injury news was such a punch in the gut, with up-and-coming edge rusher Nolan Smith placed on the injured reserve on September 24 — which means the Eagles will be without their most experienced pass rusher for at least 4 games.
“Sources: Eagles OLB Nolan Smith strained his triceps Sunday, and now is expected to be sidelined through the team’s Nov. 2 bye,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on September 24. “He could return for the Monday night Nov. 10 game at Green Bay. Smith had triceps surgery a week after the Super Bowl and aggravated the injury last week. The plan now is to let him rest, then return after the bye.
Smith was a first round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last season.
Smith Projected As Potential NFL All-Pro
X User Eagles Eric recently put up a stat about Smith before the season that seems to lend itself to the idea he could be the one who puts Philadelphia’s pass rush on his back as his team tries to win a second consecutive Super Bowl.
“The ONLY players who had a higher rate of High Quality Sacks per pass rush than Nolan Smith in 2024: Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, Danielle Hunter, Nick Bosa, Dexter Lawrence, Aidan Hutchinson, Von Miller, Nick Herbig,” Eagles Eric wrote on his official X account. “Smith might have a monster season!”
Smith had 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 QB hit and no sacks through the first 3 games.
In his first season as a full time starter in 2024 Smith played in 16 games with 10 starts and a career high 6.5 sacks.
Brilliant Play In Postseason Run To Super Bowl
Smith was brilliant in the Eagles’ run to their second Super Bowl win in the last decade, culminating with a 44-20 blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
In 4 games, Smith had 16 tackles with 4.0 sacks, 6.5 TFL and 1 forced fumble.
Smith’s Measurables Off the Charts Before Draft
Smith is a bit undersized for an edge rusher at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds but negated that by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds a the NFL scouting combine. That type of speed turns players into first round draft picks at the skill positions — not at edge rusher and was the second fastest 40-yard dash run by a defensive lineman in NFL combine history.
He also registered a 41.5-inch vertical leap, making him the heaviest player in NFL history to run the 40 in under 4.4 seconds and jump over 40 inches.
One thing the Eagles also got in Smith was a dyed in the wool winner. At the University of Georgia, Smith won a pair of College Football Playoff national championships in 2021 and 2022.
“Lower weight class edge defender with the toughness to mix it up with bigger players,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Based purely upon his sleek but smallish frame, one might expect him to be more effective as a rusher than run defender but the opposite is true.”
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