On The Hunt

PHILADELPHIA — Before breaking the final training camp practice of the summer, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni opted for an additional competitive period, only this time with a twist.

Devised to connect and strengthen the bond among his team, Sirianni appeared to call out the names of players at random, setting the stage for a spirited 1-on-1 series of five plays, pitting offense against defense.

For the third rep, Sirianni called for offensive lineman Darian Kinnard — ‘D.K.!’ he shouted — to draw second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith in a one-on-one pass rush drill.

Executing an effective push-pull maneuver, Smith made quick work of the rep, casting aside Kinnard to put the defense ahead.

The aftermath of the rep culminated in an eruption from Smith’s defensive teammates.

For Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, it’s been a summer of growing into his position and honing the finer details, like get-off and seeing plays develop, and playing with anticipation.

Things appear to be slowing down. It also helps to compete against one of the game’s premier offensive tackles, even if the results are rarely favorable for Smith.

“I work against Lane Johnson every day,” Smith said. “And I tell myself when I get in the game, I ain’t gonna never see another tackle like Lane. In the two years I’ve worked with him, even if he stays another year or he leaves — whatever he does — I worked with him for two more years and it just made me better.”

GETTY IMAGES: Second-year EDGE Nolan Smith trained this offseason with a sophomore breakout in mind.

Smith, 23, will be a critical component to unlocking the full potential of the Eagles’ pass rush.

His explosive characteristics, coupled with his twitchiness and fluid movement, present a unique set of skills exclusive only to Smith in his position room.

The Savannah, Ga., native approached the offseason intent on finding isolation to lock in on the task at hand, attacking shortcomings and refining strengths from a different angle.

So he opted to head west, specifically the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, Calif., to train at Proactive Sports Performance, stationed in Westlake Village.

Smith also enhanced his physique to better be able to stand his ground at the point of attack and forge through contact, adding around seven pounds of muscle, bringing him to 245 pounds.

Much will be expected of Smith, perhaps the X-factor in vaulting the Eagles’ pass-rush to relevance.

But like fellow quarterback hunters Bryce Huff and Josh Sweat, Smith enters 2024 seemingly with a target on his back, under intense scrutiny.

Inevitable concerns surround a young player, from whom much is expected, despite a minimal sample size.

Smith accounted for only 16 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie. And when he was on the field, the Georgia product largely appeared overmatched as he acclimated to the pro ranks.

Smith, in a moment of self-awareness, put his rookie season into perspective.

“I didn’t have the same success when I first walked in at Georgia,” he acknowledged. “And I expected the same thing here. Everybody goes through learning curves. You go to the bottom of the totem pole, and you climb your way up.

“You look at guys like [Josh] Sweat and Huff that’s been doing it. BG [Brandon Graham] for 15 years. I can’t come in, right out the gate, Year 1 and be like, ‘Yeah, Coach, put me in. I’m better than them.’ That don’t even sound right if I don’t know any of the plays, any of the formations, what to look for.

“BG’s been looking at different things and offenses are changing throughout whole years of him being in the league. And I just think as much as I can soak in as a sponge and absorb that, I’ll be amazing.”

Amazing, perhaps, was on his mind when asked if he had a sack total in mind, though a smiling Smith evaded the question.

”That’s personal,” he said, before revealing that he reads the number, written with an Expo marker, on his mirror each morning when he brushes his teeth.

It would appear his expectedly lofty total is unbeknown to most everyone, with the exception of wide receiver A.J. Brown, in whom Smith confided.

”Me and A.J. got something special, a little connection,” he said. “I love cars. Me, him and Sweat, we love cars. So, that’s all I’m gonna say. It’s just something about a car that he drives that I love.”

Smith, by the way, is a bit proponent of the Expo marker-to-mirror tactic, as he believes goals of any stature fuel daily motivation.

“You should wake up every day with a purpose, he said. “You shouldn’t just wake up and be like, ‘Well, I guess it’s another day.’ No, the Lord didn’t have to wake you up. So, you should go strive with a purpose every day.”

To fully appreciate the obvious fire that burns within Smith, along with the outside-the-box method to his training regimen, and the dedication to bettering himself, is to see the reaction of his teammates on the heels of that end-of-practice rep against Kinnard – a moment that best illustrated the team’s excitement and anticipation for the second-year overhang defender’s season.

“It’s exciting,” Smith said. “That’s what you live for; 1-on-1, all eyes on you. And that’s how it is the game. That’s how you feel every play. So, that’s why I tell ‘em, ‘I love that moment.’

“And you know, my teammates know my moves and know what I’m gonna do, and just to see them react to it and love it and stuff like that, it’s just amazing. You can’t buy nothin’ like that.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.