ESPN ranks Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith at No. 22, and it shows how underrated he is.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t![\"Jan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/USATSI_27984970-scaled.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) warms up prior to in an NFC Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
DeVonta Smith<\/a> is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL, and ESPN<\/a>\u2018s latest position rankings just proved it. The Philadelphia Eagles wideout landed at No. 22 on the network\u2019s 2026 receiver list, behind names like Terry McLaurin, Tee Higgins, and Alec Pierce. Smith trails former teammate A.J. Brown<\/a>, who came in at No. 9. And while Brown ranking higher was probably expected given his status as the Eagles\u2019 No. 1 receiver, seeing Smitty buried in the 20s is genuinely absurd.<\/p>\n Look, there are a lot of talented receivers in the league. Ja\u2019Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens. Nobody\u2019s arguing that those guys aren\u2019t elite. But DeVonta Smith at No. 22? Behind Alec Pierce? That ranking tells me people aren\u2019t watching the tape.<\/p>\n Smitty\u2019s resume speaks for itself<\/p>\n Go look at what Smith has done over his first five NFL seasons. He has three 1,000-yard campaigns on his resume. The one season he didn\u2019t crack that mark during his peak years was 2024, when he missed four games due to injury. He was on pace for 1,000 yards before the absence knocked him off track. And his rookie season? He posted 916 yards in a year when the Eagles didn\u2019t have a stable running game, Nick Sirianni was a first-year head coach, and Jalen Hurts was starting his first full season as Philadelphia\u2019s quarterback. That context matters.<\/p>\n Smith has consistently produced at a high level regardless of the circumstances around him. Coordinator turnover, offensive line injuries, fluctuating target shares with Brown in the picture. None of it has stopped him from being one of the most reliable pass catchers in the game.<\/p>\n Louis Riddick said it well on ESPN, noting that Smith \u201chas been a guy who always has thrived in the spotlight\u201d and arguing that despite thriving there, he never gets the recognition the other stars receive. Even Terrell Owens chimed in recently<\/a>, saying that if you put Smith on any other roster, he\u2019s capable of being a team\u2019s No. 1 receiver.<\/p>\n I think Smith is the most underrated receiver in the league. It\u2019s not even close. He does everything you want from a Philadelphia athlete. He shows up, works, produces, and he doesn\u2019t create drama. The guy just goes out and plays football at an extremely high level, and for whatever reason, the national media continues to overlook him.<\/p>\n This season changes the conversation<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what I think happens. Smith is going to have a monster year in 2026. I think it\u2019s going to be his best season in the NFL. With a more creative offensive scheme, with Dallas Goedert back in the fold, and with the potential for Smith to command an even larger target share with A.J. Brown out of the equation, Smitty is set up for a massive year.<\/p>\n And I would almost guarantee that when ESPN puts out this same list next offseason, DeVonta Smith will be in the top 10. He\u2019s going to prove everybody wrong, just like he\u2019s done at every single level of football since he was the skinny kid winning the Heisman Trophy at Alabama.<\/p>\n The No. 22 ranking is disrespectful, plain and simple. But if we know anything about Smitty, it\u2019s that he uses this kind of stuff as fuel.<\/p>\n \t\t\t Philadelphia Eagles News<\/p>\n![\"Feb](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/USATSI_10588596-200x200.jpg\")
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