Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Nolan Smith had to wait longer than expected on draft night. Smith’s patience paid off. The Philadelphia Eagles selected Smith with the No. 30 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Nolan Smith joins an excellent situation in Philadelphia. The Eagles are fresh off a Super Bowl appearance and have a lot of returning talent. He will not have to play a ton as a rookie and gets to learn from NFL veterans like Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham. In fact, Smith was compared to Haason Reddick ahead of the draft.
Smith joins several of his college teammates in Philadelphia: running back D’Andre Swift, linebacker Nakobe Dean, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and cornerback Kelee Ringo.
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman attended college at the University of Florida. However, that has not stopped him from acquiring a lot of former Georgia Bulldogs this offseason. Roseman wants to win and the Eagles felt like they had good value with the Georgia Bulldogs that fell to them throughout the NFL draft.
Here’s Nolan Smith’s hilarious draft call with the Philadelphia Eagles:
Well worth the wait@SmithNoland2 #NFLDraft #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/eJV1m6XhXV
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 28, 2023