Nolan Smith made it clear this spring that he wants the same thing Eagles fans do.
“I have the same hopes and dreams that everyone has for me,” he said. “I want to get 10-plus sacks and do all of that. But realistically, it’s a learning curve.”
Smith, the second of two first-round draft picks last year when he arrived 30th overall behind Jalen Carter, who was taken ninth overall, added close to 10 pounds to his 6-2 frame and had his problematic shoulder rehabbed, maybe even operated on, too, but he didn’t admit to that.
One of his teammates believes Smith will be up to the challenge he will face this year, which is playing more than the 189 defensive snaps he got last year (16 percent) and wreaking havoc in the backfield, and even when defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has him drop into coverage.
Cornerback Darius Slay was on Chris Long’s “Green Light Podcast” recently and expressed his belief in Smith.
