Having another BG-like energy guy in the locker room can only be a good thing for Philly.
The Eagles may have drafted Jalen Carter at No. 9, but the first-round draft pick that’s getting most of the attention lately seems to be pick No. 30, Nolan Smith. The incoming rookie has been all over the team’s social media, participated in different opportunities, including sitting down with former Eagles’ DE Chris Long on his Green Light podcast.
Long asked Smith which older guys he’s been connecting with, and he acknowledged all the comps to Haason Reddick that have been going around, but said he’s really more akin to Brandon Graham.
“Being around BG, you know, that energy that he brings man, he just always got a smile and stuff like that, and I mean, everybody brings their own energy in certain ways. […] So, I would say me and BG got the same kind of motor, though, like we run off the same type of happy juice, energy type.”
This is not surprising given his energy in videos we’ve seen going all the way back to the night he was drafted. He celebrated with Nakobe Dean, he asked Eagles’ DC Sean Desai for the playbook during his draft call, he took the lead at his introductory press conference, and has seemingly been all-smiles since his plane landed in Philly.
Having similar vibes to BG, the longest tenured Eagle, and absolute core locker room leader is a great sign for what’s to come. Graham is heading into his 14th season and one would imagine retirement is coming up sooner rather than later; having someone like Smith, who seems to check all the character boxes for who you want leading the team, can help fill that void.
As Long pointed out, “You gotta have guys like that in the locker room.”
Obviously, Graham’s shoes are going to be huge to fill — they took a long time to develop —, and we haven’t seen Smith on the field to know if he’ll stack up — although, it’s tough to see that not happening —, but it’s still nice for the team to get a big boost of rookie energy and potential with this latest draft class.