Eagles' 'Silent Assassin' Tasked With Shouldering Pass-Catching Load

DeVonta Smith has been remarkably consistent while often overlooked throughout his football career.

So in the aftermath of the A.J. Brown-to-New England trade, and uncertainty with first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's offense, Smith is going to be tasked with bringing more of that consistency to the Eagles' passing offense.

Smith is surely up to the task, even though he landed in the "others receiving votes" territory in the ESPN-compiled list of best wide receivers.

The No. 10 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has thrived despite playing in Brown's shadow. But he's about to emerge from that as Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver.

'Silent Assassin' DeVonta Smith Predicted for Huge Year

Smith may play under the radar. The list of 70 pro scouts, coaches and executives had Brown ranked No. 9 on the star-studded list of NFL's top wideouts and Smith in the No. 17-25 range.

But Brown's departure may be a huge boon for Smith's profile, even if his production doesn't go up substantially.

"I would expect him to go over 100 catches," ESPN's Louis Riddick said on "Get Up" on Wednesday. "He'll be a 1,300, 1,350 [receiving yards] guy, pushing double-digits in touchdowns, because that's the skill set. That's what the numbers say."

The Eagles are going to miss Brown's contributions, but after consecutive drama-filled seasons, having a lowkey, high-production WR1 like Smith will be welcome.

"In Philly, they see him as a quiet assassin," ESPN reporter Kimberley Martin said. "He's not gonna be demonstrative. He's not gonna be a loud talker. He's not gonna say much, but the man produces.

"Will they miss the production of A.J. Brown? Of course, you have to account for that. But no one feels like DeVonta Smith is not that dude as well."

DeVonta Smith's Numbers, Resilience Support a Breakout Year in 2026

Brown has been the top wideout in Philly, but Smith has effectively served as his 1A despite casting a much smaller shadow.

After all, Smith is averaging 1,000 yards per season over his first five years and led the Eagles in receptions twice in Brown's four seasons in Philly -- Smith had one fewer catch than Brown but five more yards in 2025.

Sure, Brown has provided cover for Smith, both profile-wise and in getting beneficial matchups. There is the potential for Brown's absence to weigh down Smith's production, since the duo of Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon is far less formidable than the three-time Pro Bowler.

But I'm not betting against Smith, since he has been proving doubters wrong since college. Pundits said he was too small at Alabama, and he won the Heisman Trophy and earned the top-10 pick Philadelphia used on him.