Pro Bowl snubs do not include Eagles' DeVonta Smith
Sorry Philadelphia, Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith didn’t get snubbed from this year’s Pro Bowl roster. He’s an outstanding player but according to the numbers, Smith falls short in nearly every statistical category.
Catches
Smith barely cracks the top 20 this year, and will need 14 catches against the Giants to match last year’s total (95). His 63-yard touchdown against the Vikings in Week 2 was the longest grab of his three-year career, but his current 13.2 yard per catch average is 1.1 yards below his numbers as a rookie.
To be fair, he has five more catches than Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans (76) but 44 less than Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb (122). In fact, if any wide receiver was overlooked in the catch department, it’s Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Lions wide receiver is tied with Miami’s Tyreek Hill with 112 catches, second-most in the NFL. He made last year’s Pro Bowl with fewer catches (106) and touchdowns (6), but he didn’t make the cut this year.
Touchdowns
At the moment, Smith is tied with 15 other receivers boasting seven touchdowns. This is the same total as teammate A.J. Brown, but fewer than rookies like Detroit's Sam LaPorta and Minnesota’s Jordan Addison.
Smith also had seven scores in 2022, but after suffering a mild ankle sprain against the Cardinals, he may not get to add to his total if he doesn’t suit up for the season finale.
Yards
Last year, Brown and Smith both finished as top-10 receivers. Brown’s 1,496 were fourth-most in the league, and Smith’s 1,196 yards were ninth. His yardage total hasn’t fallen off this year, but it’s well below league leaders like Hill (1,717) and Lamb (1,651).
Eagles fans don’t want to hear this, but when it comes to yardage, San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk has a much better argument for the Pro Bowl. His 18.3 yards per catch average leads all receivers, and his 1,317 yards are sixth-most in the NFL.
Bottom Line
Smith is an integral part of the Eagles offense and a big reason the team went to Super Bowl LVII. There’s always a chance he’ll make the Pro Bowl as an alternate, but players like Aiyuk and St. Brown will likely go first.
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