Eagles newcomers ‘26: Stone Smartt and Deontae Lawson have work to do to make the team
The Inquirer's look at the Eagles' new faces rolls on with a tight end and linebacker candidate.
With Eagles training camp drawing nearer, The Inquirer is taking a closer look at the more than three dozen new faces who are expected to report along with the rest of the team on July 28.
Player: Stone Smartt
Position: Tight end
Age: 27
Previous experience: Rookie second-round pick Eli Stowers isn’t the only former quarterback playing tight end for the Eagles in training camp. Smartt, too, was a quarterback even into his college days. He played quarterback at Northern Arizona and Riverside City College before transferring to Old Dominion, where he eventually became a wide receiver.
Whether a 2026 draft choice, a veteran addition, or a rookie free-agent hopeful, we’re telling you more about each player’s potential role this season. We’re rolling out two players per day in a mostly unscientific order that balances offense and defense, bigger names with mysteries, and locks with longer shots to be chosen for the 53-man roster.
Smartt went undrafted in 2022. He signed with the Chargers and made seven appearances as a rookie. His highest usage came in 2023, when he was on the field for 28% of the offensive snaps and was targeted 21 times (11 catches). Smartt, who is 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds, signed with the Jets last season and played 15 games, mostly appearing on special teams.
Path to a roster spot: The Eagles have eight tight ends on their current roster. If you’re building a depth chart heading into camp, it’s hard to get Smartt any higher than fifth, and since the Eagles won’t be keeping that many tight ends, Smartt’s odds of making the team out of camp are long. Dallas Goedert and Stowers are locks to make the team. Free agent addition Johnny Mundt figures to have a leg up for a spot due to his blocking ability. Grant Calcaterra is back but has plenty of competition — including from Smartt — to make the team. Smartt should have plenty of chances in camp and in preseason games to show he belongs, but it won’t be easy … or likely.
Fun fact: Smartt has plans for life after football. He has a finance degree and has continued his financial education after college.
Quotable: “One thing that constantly comes back to my mind is helping people and families have money and make that money work for them, and also being able to leave a legacy for their next of kin,” Smartt said recently on a financial podcast.
Player: Deontae Lawson
Position: Linebacker
Age: 23
Previous experience: Draft experts had Lawson pegged as a Day 3 pick for good reason. He was a standout at Alabama who left Tuscaloosa ranking 10th all-time in tackles (283). An ACL tear near the end of his junior season certainly may have impacted his draft stock. He initially planned to leave for the NFL after that 2024 season but returned to college and had 89 combined tackles in 15 games.
Path to a roster spot: Lawson is long and relatively lanky at 6-3 and 226 pounds. He faces a difficult path to go from undrafted free agent to the roster, but he should, at the very least, be an intriguing player the Eagles try to keep on the practice squad. Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell are the off-ball linebacker starters, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is right behind them. Four seems like the likely number for linebackers on the initial 53-man roster. Smael Mondon Jr., a fifth-round pick last year, is slotted in at that No. 4 spot right now, but Lawson and Chance Campbell are knocking on the door. There could be a fun competition for that fourth spot.
Fun fact: Lawson became one of just 16 players in Alabama football history to twice be named a team captain.
Quotable: “Lawson might not have elite speed or strength, but NFL teams love him as a football player because he plays fast and fiery and his processing can be a differentiating factor,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote of Lawson in this year’s Beast draft preview. “He has the talent to compete for starting reps, but questions about durability cloud his future.”
According to NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein, Lawson is “much better at slipping blocks than he is at taking them on. … He projects as a run-and-chase Will linebacker with three-down potential but a limited ceiling.”
