Philadelphia Eagles select Marcus Smith No. 26 overall in the 2014 NFL draft

Marcus Smith, Louisville (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis likes and needs versatility above all in his pass rushers, and

Philadelphia Eagles select Marcus Smith No. 26 overall in the 2014 NFL draft

Marcus Smith, Louisville (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Eagles defensive coordinator Billy Davis likes and needs versatility above all in his pass rushers, and Louisville endbacker Marcus Smith fits the bill. In 2013, he finished second in the FBS with 14.5 sacks, and he brought pressure from just about every possible spot on the defensive line for the Cardinals. He's a bit of a tweener at 6-3 and 251 pounds, but that's just fine for a Philly defense in need of hybrid pass rushers.

Projected by most as a second-round prospect, Smith has the power, speed and turn around the edge to make things happen at the NFL level. And in that regard, he's not as much of a reach as some may assume.

Strengths: Smith has the size to succeed off the edge and to move inside in certain defensive packages, but his primary value lies in his array of pass-rush moves. He can dip-and rip, move with inside stunts and provide surprising run defense for his size. He can also cover in space decently.

Weaknesses: As with most LEO ends, Smith will struggle against double teams and bigger defenders -- he'll need to stay free in space to be productive.

Grade: B-.

Published May 9, 2014

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.