DeVonta Smith discusses how Jalen Hurts has grown since Alabama

Jack Connell
June 23, 2021
Eagles
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No other member of the Philadelphia Eagles knows Jalen Hurts better than first-round pick DeVonta Smith. The two were teammates at Alabama and have been very close since Smith was selected 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Recently, Smith spoke on how Hurts has grown from their time with the Crimson Tide and the most notable changes he’s noticed.

“He’s grown a lot. He’s smarter, the decision-making that he does, He works hard. He understands everything a lot more. Us being at practice, not just me and him but his connection with all the other receivers, the running backs, the O-line, just the communication as an offense, everything is getting better. And it’s only going to get better as we keep going.”

Everyone around Jalen Hurts has given him high praise during the 2021 offseason, and he’s proven to be a fantastic leader for this offense. Head coach Nick Sirianni praised his work ethic while the skill groups have been ecstatic to work with him every day.

Jalen Hurts warming for today’s voluntary practice. pic.twitter.com/CxD62WZMxs
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) June 4, 2021

Improvement in the decision-making portion of his game is huge because that is what often needs the most work with any rookie quarterback. Many rookies struggle in the pocket due to coverages being a lot better, and windows to make throws are tight. Hurts himself was criticized for taking too long in the pocket and having to improvise, but this occurs very often, so it isn’t much of a concern.

Hopefully, all of this work in the offseason will pay off for the Eagles and Jalen Hurts this upcoming season. Nick Sirianni has had large attendance numbers at OTAs with training camp just around the corner in a few weeks.