Nolan Smith earns national nod as under-the-radar Eagles star worth watching

USA Today

4 hours ago

Nolan Smith earns national nod as under-the-radar Eagles star worth watching Nolan Smith lands on a list of NFL rising stars as the excitement for his third year keeps building.
This country has become, in some ways, a microwave society. No one wants to wait for anything. No one has any patience. People want results, and they want them faster than they once did. Sports only fuel that, especially among one of the NFL's most passionate (and notoriously zany fan bases), one belonging to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nolan Smith was the 30th player taken during Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. He spent most of his time playing on special teams as a rookie. Much of the reason for that was that he sat behind Haason Reddick on the depth chart, who, at that time, was still playing at an elite level.
No one cared about that. 'Nolan Smith is a bust.' That was an opinion shared by much of the Eagles contingent. Remember... This is a microwave society.
But a chain reaction occurred. Philadelphia hired Vic Fangio as its defensive coordinator.
Nolan Smith is no longer a secret weapon after his latest national praise
Year two for Nolan Smith finally delivered to Birds fans what they had hoped for since the announcement of his selection on April 27, 2023. He had gone from a special-teams player to starting ten of 16 in-game appearances during the regular season.
His 188 defensive snaps were roughly 16% of the Eagles' total in 2023. He churned out 546 a season ago, suitable for 55% of the total a year later.
The results speak for themselves. During the 2024-25 NFL regular season, Nolan stacked 42 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. The momentum carried into the playoffs, and he got better, churning out 16 tackles, four sacks, and another forced fumble. His four sacks and four tackles for loss both led all players in the postseason.
Nolan started every game of Philadelphia's march to Super Bowl glory. Now comes the question. What does he do for an encore?
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell is expecting more fireworks. Smith was named as the one player from the Eagles' roster who could make a surprising impact.
"Smith flashed in the 2024 playoffs, co-leading the league in sacks (4) while ranking second in quarterback pressures (19) behind only Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (22)... Following edge rusher Josh Sweat's departure to the Arizona Cardinals and edge rusher Brandon Graham's retirement, Smith is an unquestioned starter for the first time entering his third NFL season. He now has a chance to transform from a player with tantalizing potential to a real star in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme in 2025."
It's hard to disagree with the sentiment. Vic Fangio has unlocked something. There's a lot of talent here. Might Coach Fangio find more ways to deploy him?
Eagles legend Brandon Graham offered some brotherly advice. Nolan took it to heart. He has made the most of an expanded role. Let this be a lesson to those of you who were a little impatient. Quarterbacks aren't the only players who need reps and a little patience.