If there's one major talking point about the Philadelphia Eagles' 2024 rookie class, it isn't the instant impact player Quinyon Mitchell appears to be, the emergence of Johnny Wilson as a legit challenger for WR3, or even how Will Shipley could become the next Darren Sproles, but instead the struggles of Ainias Smith, who has earned poor reviews coming out of camp and struggled in the preseason debut.
Asked about Smith's issues in the preseason earlier this week, head coach Nick Sirianni let it be known that it isn't soley the Texas A&M product's fault, as more goes into a dropped pass than the wide receiver's hands.
“What creates big plays on offense? Well, being on the right page in protection, the catch, the blocking up front. So, it’s always about fundamentals. That’s what we’re looking for in everybody that plays. So, what we’re doing when we go in there and correct a fundamental, it’s always about, ‘Hey, you dropped this pass. Why?’ ‘You didn’t get off this block. Why?’” Nick Sirianni asked reporters.
“Because the worst coaching point in the world — and I hate this coaching point, and I hate hearing this — is ‘catch the ball.’ Well, I tried to. ‘Get off the block.’ I tried to. How, right? That’s what’s talked about in the meeting room. That’s what’s fixed in the meeting room.
“You mentioned Ainias [Smith]. ‘Hey, you dropped this ball that was low. Were your hands a little bit apart? Did you try to turn up the field? Let me show you. Here’s the proper fundamental. Here’s the proper fundamental to get off a block,’ and now we have unbelievable players on our team and so much tape at our disposal because now we can go, ‘Okay, Ainias, watch [WR] A.J. [Brown], how his pinkies are together when the ball is below his waist,’ ‘Watch A.J. when he goes to the ground and instead of going to the ground and letting the ball pop out, he gets to his back.’
“It’s those little details. If I hear one of my coaches say, ‘Catch it,’ I’m upset because it’s about how you do it, and that’s what we go about in that film room. That’s how we go about correcting things like fundamentals because it’s in the fundamentals. It’s in the detail that you win games and that you win plays.”
Honestly, good on Sirianni for being so open and detailed in his answer, as it's easy for fans to immediately write off Smith as a wide receiver with the trim down to 53 rapidly approaching, especially considering Wilson has become a quality player for the team as a big-bodied blocking receiver. Even if Smith's perceived role as a craft slot receiver option may ultimately be filled by someone like Britain Covery instead, it's encouraging to learn that Sirianni isn't giving up on his young wide receiver even amid his struggles, as that is the true sign of a quality coach.
Ainias Smith admits to growing pains with the Eagles
While Sirianni is willing to go to back for his rookie by suggesting that more can go into a dropped pass than a wide receiver's error, Smith was interviewed by Sports Illustrated after the Eagles' preseason debut and admitted that he isn't feeling too good about his appearances thus far.
“Honestly, I ain’t gonna lie,” Smith told SI. “I’m not really excited about performance. I feel I can do a lot better. I just want to keep trying to stack days and keep working. That’s all I can do.”
Asked if his injury impacted his ability to make plays so far this summer, Smith said no, noting that the game is simply different than what he's used to in Texas A&M.
“I wouldn’t say any of that. It’s just more so being able to slow down the game, getting out there and letting that happen,” Smith noted. “My first time in the league is definitely different than college. I haven’t been able to go in with the same mindset I had in college. I have to be able to bounce back and not let a bad day turn into another.”
Can Smith turn things around? Sure, he's only been a member of the Eagles for a few months now, and while seemingly every other member of the Eagles' rookie class has performed well, Smith isn't a guaranteed bust in August. If he can shine through the remainder of the preseason, there's little reason to believe he could still have a long and healthy NFL career either in Philadelphia or elsewhere.
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