Eagles' DeVonta Smith Doesn't Have Georgia on His Mind, But Bulldogs Will Help
PHILADELPHIA – DeVonta Smith looks around at the sea of Bulldogs surrounding him.
The Philadelphia Eagles receiver has a few compatriots from his school, the University of Alabama, with offensive lineman Tyler Steen arriving in April’s draft to join him and left guard Landon Dickerson.
Still, it's a University of Georgia takeover in South Philly, and Smith is fine with it.
“You bring in championship players to get to the championship, to win it all,” Smith said. “So, if that’s what we gotta do, that’s what we gotta do.”
At some point, the Georgia flavor will wear off like a well-chewed piece of bubble gum. Maybe it already has, and the Philadelphia Bulldogs can get back to being Philadelphia Eagles once again.
It was a cute draft weekend story, with general manager Howie Roseman taking two players in the first round from Georgia – Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith - and three overall, with Kelee Ringo coming early in the fourth round.
As if that wasn’t enough, Roseman also traded for former Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift.
That group was added to the pair of Georgia products from last year’s draft class – Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.
As the Eagles continue May workouts in South Philly and prepare for the first of several OTAs beginning on Tuesday, colleges become less important and a common goal as professionals begin to take shape.
Still, there's no denying that if the Eagles want to return to the Super Bowl, players from Georgia will need to do their part.
Dean will start in the middle of the Eagles' defense and Swift could be the team's lead back.
Carter could start beside Fletcher Cox on the defensive line unless it's Davis who does.
Smith should see his fair share of reps on the edge with the team likely to limit Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett's snaps.
Dean was made available to the media in the second wave of players the team made available, telling you where he ranks in the hierarchy.
It was similar to last year when safety Marcus Epps was one of the first players the Eagles let talk to reporters in May.
“Everybody brings their own different skill set,” said Dean, about his fellow Georgians. “I feel that Howie...ups to him doing a good job in the draft. I don’t feel like he went for Georgia guys. I just feel like he picked the best who was available. And they just happened to be Georgia guys at the moment.
“I feel that they all bring their different things to the game. Jalen’s going to bring that dominant presence up front. Nolan with the energy and the speed off the end. Kelee with his ball-hawk skills and things like that. And Swift with everything he’s got. So, I feel like everybody brings a different aspect to the team that we’ll use this year.”
Dean and Nolan Smith are close friends, having roomed together at Georgia. The linebacker was with Smith on draft night when he learned he had been picked 30th overall by the Eagles.
That friendship will only grow stronger with the two of them firmly rooted in Philadelphia now.
“We were roommates, so we’re naturally close," Dean said. "But I was excited for all of them guys. I knew if Jalen (Carter) was there, we were going to get him. I knew if Nolan was there, we were going to get him. I could tell y’all that. I knew that.”
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Philadelphia Eagles? Click Here.
Want even more Philadelphia Eagles news? Check out the SI.com team page here
