Nolan Smith Jr. lands surprising ranking against the NFL's best edge rushers

The Philadelphia Eagles have brought in so much young talent to the roster, but the NFL continues to overlook those players.

Philadelphia saw a tremendous rise in play from edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr., one of the Eagles' first-round picks in 2023. After being a backup in his rookie year, Smith took on a starter role with Brandon Graham's injury and earned a full-time starting job in the upcoming 2025 season.

His play got the attention of the team and the fans, but it wasn't enough to gain the confidence of the media compared to others at his position.

Nolan Smith Jr. did not get the ranking fans would like

PFF writer Ryan Smith ranked the top 32 best edge defenders in the NFL. Ryan Smith didn't even rank Nolan Smith Jr. in the top 25 as he placed him at 28.

"Smith served as a backup on a loaded Eagles defense during his rookie season in 2023, logging just 203 snaps. In Year 2, he became an every-down contributor for the Super Bowl champions, playing 755 snaps over the entire campaign.

Smith graded better against the run (74.0) than as a pass-rusher (68.3) but still managed to generate 50 pressures. With Josh Sweat departing for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency, Smith will face increased pressure to lead the Eagles’ edge unit moving forward."

Last season, Smith racked up 42 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 16 games. He separated himself from the rest of the pass rushers in the postseason as he led all players in the playoffs in tackles for loss and sacks with four.

Understanding that there is a ton of talent off the edge, Smith's ranking is low, especially with him just 24, and he is only improving as a player. He is strong against the run, but has made significant strides to be just as good of a pass rusher as he gets bigger and stronger while maintaining his speed on the outside.

Uncertainty about what kind of player the Eagles will get with Bryce Huff means that Smith becomes the team's most reliable pass rusher by process of elimination. Philadelphia is in good hands with him, but there is good depth behind him, with Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari, and Josh Uche on the roster.

Smith is only tapping into his true potential, and 2025 is an important season for him to take another leap in his development.