DeVonta Smith suffers minor injury, listed as week-to-week

Philadelphia Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith suffered a minor knee injury during practice Monday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Smith was the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman Trophy in his senior season at Alabama.

#Eagles first-round WR DeVonta Smith has a minor knee sprain and should be out just a couple weeks. No cause for concern.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 2, 2021

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Eagles expect him to miss two to three weeks with a sprained MCL. Smith underwent MRI scans on Sunday which revealed the injury.

Update on Eagles’ first-round pick DeVonta Smith: He is expected to miss two to three weeks with a sprained MCL, per sources. Smith underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed the injury.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2021

The current timeframe for the injury puts Smith in jeopardy of missing at least one preseason game, possibly two. The Eagles are set to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 12 and the New England Patriots on Aug. 19. Based on the prognosis, Smith could be eligible to return for the Aug. 27 preseason game against the New York Jets.

The Eagles open 2021 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 12.

Impact on Philadelphia

Smith is a 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver who finished his college career with 235 catches for 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns. He finished 2020 with 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns on his way to his second national championship. Smith became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since former Michigan star Desmond Howard in 1991. He was also named the Associated Press Player of the Year, won the Walter Camp, Biletnikoff and Paul Hornung awards.

Smith was reunited with former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, where the two have developed good chemistry on the field during training camp. They spent two years together at Alabama before Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his senior season.

“It’s great to have that connection come back,” Smith said during practice this summer. “It just feels like old times, like back in college.”

Hurts won the starting job in 2020 after injuries sidelined Carson Wentz. He returns as the starter in 2021 with Joe Flacco and Nick Mullens behind him.

Smith joins an Eagles receiver core that was in need of help after finishing No. 26 in the NFL in receiving yards last season. When asked about becoming the WR1 as a rookie, Smith told reporters: “That’s the plan.”

He joins returning receivers Jalen Reagor and Travis Fulgham, along with versatile tight end Zach Ertz. Running back Miles Sanders is also expected to be a part of the passing game after posting 706 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first two seasons.

Image courtesy of Mitchell Leff/Getty Images