August 04, 2024
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith runs drills during training camp at the NovaCare Complex on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The Eagles returned to the practice field on Sunday morning at the NovaCare Complex. It was yet another camp practice where the offense mostly got the best of the defense. As we do here at PhillyVoice, we're handing out an offensive and a defensive game ball on the day. This practice was one where quarterback Jalen Hurts was deserving of a game ball in his own right, but, hey we wrote an entire separate article about the guy.
Let's get after it...
Lots of light has been shed on A.J. Brown having a great summer, but DeVonta Smith is excelling in his own right. Smith was on the receiving end of the play of the day on Sunday, hauling in a pass from Jalen Hurts down the sideline in tight coverage as if he was a centerfield reaching the warning track. It was an expert throw from Hurts and Smith was exactly where he needed to be.
"He's been really good. He's had as good of a camp he's had, probably the best camp since I've been here with him and his confidence is through the roof," Eagles wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said about Smith after Sunday's practice.
"He's continuing to master his craft."
In his post-practice press conference, Smith mentioned that something he specifically wants to improve upon every offseason is his football IQ. Neither that nor his skill has ever been in question. With Brown looking as good as ever opposite him at receiver and Hurts having a strong training camp as well, the 2024 Eagles' offense is looking primed to out-do its 2023 counterpart.
It can be difficult to evaluate line play in training camp when things aren't full live action. It's a situation where quarterbacks and receivers are born to shine. Still, the Eagles have called a good amount of run plays in 11-on-11 work this summer. Jordan Davis has continuously made his presence known there, stuffing rushing lanes and making life hard for the Birds' interior offensive line. Davis did so on Sunday. He's displayed some pass-rushing chops in previous practices, too.
Davis, entering his third pro season, is at a point where he needs to showcase why he was worthy of the Eagles trading up for him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. His talent is undeniable, but the lingering questions about his conditioning will persist until he's a stellar defensive tackle from Week 1 through the playoffs with little letting up.
Some Eagles fans may be taking a "I'll believe it when I see it" approach to Davis reaching his ceiling after the last two years, but his summer has been easily a positive for his development.
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