The Eagles added to their receiver room in the fifth round of the NFL Draft with the selection of former Texas A&M do-it-all chess piece, Ainias Smith.
Philadelphia selected Smith with the 152nd pick of the draft.
Earlier in the offseason, the Eagles made marginal upgrades to their receiving corps with the signings of veteran wideouts, Parris Campbell and DeVante Parker.
Of course, the room is led by superstar receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, both of whom signed longterm extensions over the last few weeks. However, the room was still missing something.
Enter: Ainias Smith.
In over 2,100 career collegiate snaps, Smith has displayed dynamic playmaking ability with the football in his hands. Smith wins with explosive short area quickness, smooth route running acumen, and a set of hands that allowed him to possess the third lowest drop rate of any 2023 draft eligible receiver.
The 5-foot-9, 190 pound wideout is versatility personified. While he predominantly lined up in the slot during his time at Texas A&M, Smith has lined up as a receiver, in the backfield at running back, and as a punt returner.
The Houston native was the first player in SEC history to amass over 2,000 receiving yards and 800 punt return yards in a collegiate career. Smith was also the SEC’s top all-purpose player and return specialist in 2023.
In the words of former All-Pro wideout, Steve Smith Sr., Ainias Smith is a ‘fearless competitor‘. The name of the game for Smith is consistency and competitiveness.
As a former running back, Smith is at his best over the middle of the field in the short to intermediate levels of the field. He’s fearless in space with the football in his hands after the catch. He possesses nice contact balance, spatial awareness, and some sneaky quick twitch ability as a ball carrier.
He’s been compared to former fellow Texas A&M alum, Chrisitan Kirk. And it makes a ton of sense.
Both Kirk and Smith offered impressive special teams usage as college athletes. Both receivers were effective out of the backfield during their time at College Station. Both receivers possess extremely dependable hands and are very effective over the middle of the field and dangerous with the football in their hands.
Smith even broke Kirk’s 39-game consecutive reception streak.
Smith’s usage at Texas A&M also might be a bit of a tell towards Kellen Moore’s plans for the Eagles offense.
“Smith is fine as a possession slot who can run more complicated routes underneath while also offering the courage to work successfully into the middle of the field,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said on Smith.
“He expands play-calling options with his ability as an occasional ball-carrier and open-field explorer, where the quick game and West Coast routes would allow him to get the ball in his hands and do his thing,” Zierlein continued.
One of Kellen Moore’s calling cards as a play caller and play designer is his propensity for packaging plays that utilize the same presentation in terms of formation, alignment, shifts, and a ton of pre-snap motion (the latter of which has been absent from the Eagles offense for much of Nick Sirianni’s time in Philadelphia).
Essentially, Moore’s offenses utilize a lot of sequencing, formations, and alignments that are designed to create mis-matches and provide answers to the quarterback.
While it isn’t necessarily concrete, the selection of a player of Smith’s archetype and make-up gives some insight into the thinking of the Eagles offensive brain trust.
“His ability to run after the catch. His ability to get in and out of breaks. I think he is extremely tough,” Sirianni said when asked about what he liked about Smith’s game.
“I love that about him. That’s really what sticks out. Catches the ball really well. Those are the things that really stick out. It’s going to be fun to see how we can get him the football and different ways that he can contribute.”
Prior to day three of the draft, Smith specifically was one of two players identified by Howie Roseman as targets (the other was Jeremiah Trotter Jr.).
The Eagles hosted Smith on a pre-draft 30 visit. Philadelphia’s WR coach, Aaron Moorehead also attended Texas A&M’s Pro Day.
While some might overlook a day three selection, Philadelphia’s meticulous approach speaks volumes about their vision for Smith. It’s early in the days of his NFL journey, but with his dynamic play style, versatile skill set, and the strategic interest shown by Philadelphia, it’s clear they have plans in store for Ainias Smith.
Cover Image Credit: Maria Lysaker, USA TODAY Sports
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