Nolan Smith, Eagles Agree to 4-Year Rookie Contract Worth Projected $11.99M

Nolan Smith is officially a member of the Philadelphia Eagles after signing his rookie contract on Monday.

Smith's four-year deal is projected to be worth $11.99 million with a $5.72 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac.

The Eagles used their second first-round pick (No. 30 overall) to select Smith. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who played with Smith at Georgia, was their top pick at No. 9.

Smith was limited to eight games last season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in an Oct. 29 win against Florida. He had 21 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 46 games over four seasons with the Bulldogs.

Despite the injury, Smith was regarded as one of the top defensive players in the 2023 NFL draft because of his elite athletic traits.

The only notable concern expressed about Smith was his size. He ranks in the 17th percentile or lower among all edge rushers in height (6'2"), weight (238 pounds) and arm length (32⅝").

While those measurements might have scared off some teams from drafting Smith earlier in the first round, the Eagles have experience getting a high level of production out of an undersized edge-rusher.

Haason Reddick, who is actually smaller than Smith (6'1" and 237 pounds), set career highs with 26 quarterback hits and 16 sacks for Philadelphia in 2022.

One big reason the Eagles were successful last season was because the depth on their defensive line allowed them to rotate players and keep them fresh later in games.

Four players on that defensive line recorded at least 11 sacks last year. Their 70 sacks as a team were tied for the third-most in NFL history. Javon Hargrave left as a free agent to sign with the San Francisco 49ers.

A combination of Carter and Jordan Davis will likely be tasked with replacing Hargrave's production at defensive tackle.

Smith is going to be part of the pass-rush rotation the Eagles have at outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Sean Desai's scheme. He should have an opportunity to work his way into the starting lineup quickly if his athletic traits translate to in-game performance.