DeVonta Smith receives high praise from several Hall of Famers

DeVonta Smith has only been in an Eagles uniform for a few months and has already started to receive praise from numerous prominent figures across the NFL. During rookie minicamps, head coach Nick Sirianni raved about Smith’s work ethic and catch radius while Darius Slay discussed how the two often compete to better one another.

DeVonta Smith on the fade. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/s3Wr0KPxZ7

— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) June 4, 2021

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When scouts were putting together profiles for DeVonta Smith, many drew comparisons to Hall of Fame wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Isaac Bruce. Recently Bruce spoke with ESPN about the Eagles rookie WR and the comparisons to the former Colts wideout.

“[Smith] isn’t the most vocal guy. You can start there, which is something I like. He has tremendous confidence when he does open his mouth, and you can see it in his play,” Bruce told ESPN. “He’s very similar to Marvin. I can see a lot of it as far as the separation is concerned, [how he] catches the ball well, strong hands, and his ability to run after the catch, very similar to the way Marvin played.”

Bruce and DeVonta Smith were quite similar in size when entering the league. Bruce weighed in at 170 pounds when being drafted but hovered around 180 beforehand after losing ten pounds from stress. All three receivers are listed at six feet tall despite Smith initially being listed 6’1 on Alabama’s website.

Radio broadcaster Merrill Reese has been the voice of the Philadelphia Eagles for over 40 years, having witnessed the likes of Harold Carmichael, Terrell Owens, and others firsthand. Despite that, Reese thinks DeVonta Smith could be the best to walk through that door since his arrival. 

“In 50 years, I’ve seen a lot of wide receivers, and I’ve seen great ones like Harold Carmichael, who’s going into the Hall of Fame, and my partner in the booth, Mike Quick, who went to five Pro Bowls. So I’ve seen great receivers. But I’ve never seen a receiver that makes my jaw drop the way that he does.”

Merrill Reese said this during an interview with NBC Sports earlier this week, and he’s set the bar high. The entire city of Philadelphia has high expectations for the 10th overall pick and hoping he can be the star wideout they’ve been searching for. Currently, the Eagles are undergoing voluntary OTAs with training camp just around the corner later this summer.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports