ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The 2026 season may end up being a career-defining one for Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
Not only will he become the Eagles’ No. 1 receiving option when — not if — A.J. Brown is traded after June 1, but he’ll also be the only WR regular returning from last season. After an offseason receiver-room remake that awaits its biggest move, Smith is ready to assume a bigger leadership role.
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“I’m more of a lead-by-example guy,” Smith said before he captained the home team at his fifth annual celebrity softball game on Saturday at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. “I don’t get too vocal unless I have to.”
The Eagles have overhauled their wide receiver corps. After letting Jahan Dotson sign with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, they used their first-round pick in this year’s draft to select Makai Lemon. The team acquired Dontayvion Wicks in a trade with the Green Bay Packers and immediately gave him a contract extension.
They also signed Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore to one-year deals. Those moves, coupled with the returns of Darius Cooper, Johnny Wilson, Quez Watkins and Britain Covey, give the Eagles a receiving room filled with many different skill sets and identities.
Brown has been a subject of trade rumors for months. The Eagles will be able to split Brown’s $40 million cap hit between 2026 and 2027 if they trade Brown after June 1.
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While Brown is a physical, 6-1, 226-pound receiver, Smith, at 6-feet, 170 pounds, beats opponents with speed. Smith also has a more buttoned-up personality than Brown.
“I think just the way I prepare,” Smith said. “A lot of guys want to know what I do to prepare and how I prepare week in and week out.”
Smith, the Eagles’ longest-tenured receiver, served as a captain for two years at Alabama and again during the 2023 season with Philadelphia.
Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said Smith has been a leader since Philadelphia drafted him in 2021.
“I think it’s his consistency,” Mailata said. “That’s what sticks out to me. It doesn’t matter if you’re on the field or off the field. I think his character is the same on both levels, and it doesn’t waver. It doesn’t change. As a leader in that locker room, you need that, and I think that’s his biggest quality as a teammate and also a leader of the team.”
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Part of being a good leader is performing well on the field, and Smith has done that throughout his career. Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin has trained alongside Smith this offseason.
“He has always worked hard,” Franklin said. “He always trained to be the best at what he did. Guys like DeVonta don’t have to change their work ethic when opportunity comes because they are always working for the opportunity.”
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Last season, Smith finished with 77 receptions for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns — numbers that could increase if he steps into the No. 1 receiver role.
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