If DeVonta Smith misses Sunday’s game vs. Rams, his replacement will be ready to go
Dontayvion Wicks says he has the confidence to step into a WR1 role if needed after Smith was a nonparticipant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury.
The Eagles might be without DeVonta Smith (hamstring) when they face the Rams on Sunday.
The 27-year-old receiver was a nonparticipant in Wednesday and Thursday’s practices. NFL Network furthered the report, calling Smith “legitimately questionable.”
This would be a massive blow to an offense that relies on their No. 1 receiver heavily. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has targeted Smith on 32.9% of his pass attempts, which is the second-highest rate in the NFL. He has accounted for 38% of their receiving yards.
» READ MORE: Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion: Andy Dalton interception, lack of play action ‘starts with me’
If Smith can’t play, the Eagles will likely bump No. 2 wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks up the depth chart. Wicks was quiet in the Eagles’ 27-7 loss to the Bears on Monday. He has 179 yards and one touchdown reception on nine catches through three games.
Wicks, who was an afterthought in three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, logged 70 or more receiving yards in the first two games. Last season, he only had one 70-plus yard game.
Wicks, speaking with reporters at his locker room stall following Thursday’s practice, said he’s ready to step into the WR1 role.
“Being me,” Wicks said, when asked what gives him confidence he can thrive in an improved role. “I already had that confidence. Been had it.”
Wicks, 25, said this confidence was even present in Green Bay, when he was buried on the depth chart. The Eagles traded for Wicks this offseason, then signed him to a one-year, $10.5 million extension, keeping him under contract through 2027.
Now three weeks into his Eagles tenure, Wicks said he feels “in rhythm” and ready to produce.
» READ MORE: Against the Eagles, the Rams say that ‘humility is only one play away’ for both teams
“It’s just about the rhythm, the reps, getting those reps,” Wicks said. “I always believed in myself, so I wouldn’t say the confidence wasn’t there. It was just the rhythm and having those reps and seeing those reps in practices that I wasn’t getting. So, yeah, it’s different.”
The Eagles offense has had a turbulent first three weeks. They average 302.3 yards per game, with 191.7 of those yards through the air, which both rank 24th in the NFL.
How does Wicks feel about Sean Mannion’s offense, three weeks into the season?
“I mean, we getting there,” Wicks said. “There’s a lot of stuff we got to clean up. You’ll never be perfect, but, everybody’s still getting adjusted to the new system. That takes experience.”
It was a blowout, and it left a lot of questions. The Eagles’ 27-7 loss to the Bears Monday night at Soldier Field featured an offense that fizzled, a defense that folded, and a coaching staff that looked outmatched. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Jeff Neiburg provide a postmortem of the defense’s disappointing start to the season, critique of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s approach, and assessment of how some of general manager Howie Roseman’s moves have panned out so far. Listen here.
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