Eagles sign first-round pick Nolan Smith to rookie contract
Smith is the sixth 2023 draft pick to sign on the dotted line for the Eagles. Only corner Kelee Ringo, a fourth-round pick, remains unsigned.
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The Eagles continue to lock in their 2023 draft class, the team announcing Monday it has signed first-rounder Nolan Smith to a rookie deal.
The former University of Georgia edge rusher, who lit up the combine with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, was the second of the Eagles’ two first-round selections in April’s draft. After trading up to draft defensive tackle Jalen Carter at No. 9 overall, the Birds grabbed Smith, Carter’s teammate at Georgia, at pick No. 30. The duo, alongside Eagles fourth-round corner Kelee Ringo, teamed up to help Georgia win a pair of national championships while in college.
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With Smith signed, the Eagles now have six of their seven draft picks inked to rookie deals. Ringo is the team’s lone remaining unsigned draft pick.
Smith had three sacks in eight games last season for the Bulldogs and 4.5 sacks in 12 games in 2021. The 6-foot-2, 238-pounder is best known for his athleticism and quickness coming off the edge and has likened his game a bit to that of Eagles Pro Bowler Haason Reddick.
“Speed to power is my go-to,” Smith said earlier this month at rookie minicamp. “I set up everything off my speed, though. [Defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Jeremiah Washburn] is helping me put more tools in my toolbox.
“He’s helped with a ton of things, I’ve learned from fixing my lines to just simple pass-rush things, simple stances. I love Coach Wash, man. He’s getting me right as far as my lines, my aiming points — he’s coaching me how I want to be coached.”
Smith joins a talented group of edge rushers that include Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Derek Barnett.