This former Alabama Crimson Tide star is under more pressure than you think.
During his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide, DeVonta Smith established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the country.
In fact, Smith won the Heisman Trophy award during his final season at Alabama in 2020, making him just the fifth receiver in history — and the first since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991 — to claim the honor.
That season, Smith hauled in 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, leading the nation in all three categories.
And while Smith has certainly enjoyed an impressive NFL career since being drafted 10th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, he has yet to truly prove he is a No. 1 receiver.
While Smith essentially served as the Eagles' top receiver during his rookie campaign, A.J. Brown's arrival in 2022 changed things.
Brown was clearly Philadelphia's No. 1 passing weapon for the next four years, and Smith was living in his shadow.
Yes, Smith still posted three 1,000-yard campaigns throughout that span, but how much of that was a direct result of Brown drawing the defense's attention?
Well, Brown is now in New England following an offseason trade, so Smith has the No. 1 receiver role all to himself.
He started out by logging three catches for 53 yards in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders, and that's just not good enough for your best receiver.
Of course, much of that depends on how Jalen Hurts — who served as Smith's Alabama teammate for a couple of years — distributes the football, but Smith should still be getting more than three receptions per game.
Smith is actually under a lot more pressure than most think. He isn't a huge name, so he is flying under the radar in that regard, but he needs to establish himself as a true No. 1 in order for Philadelphia to be a Super Bowl contender.
The Eagles don't have a very deep receiving corps otherwise. Smith has to be the guy, and that's a lot to ask from someone who has never really done it before on the professional level.
Crimson Tide fans saw Smith do it incredibly well in Tuscaloosa, but that's an entirely different ballgame.
Smith will have 16 more games to show he can be the man. If not, Philadelphia will have to go out and find another wide out who can more properly fill that role.
