The Eagles traded up to select 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, which reunited the wide receiver with his former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts.
Hurts is expected to be Philadelphia’s starting quarterback in the team’s first season under head coach Nick Sirianni. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma after the 2018 season, but clearly left an impression on the Eagles’ newest wideout.
“Jalen, that’s my guy,” Smith said Thursday, via Reuben Frank of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “Even when I was a recruit, he was the guy trying to get me to come to Alabama. That’s my guy. I have a great relationship [with him], and I’m ready to work.”
Smith also noted how Hurts was effectively a mentor for plenty of players at Alabama.
“Jalen taught everybody the game,” he said. “He was just one of those guys that was a student of the game and taught everybody the game. When you got reps with him, he was always telling you about coverages and rotations. The connection is there, the chemistry is there. Overall, he’s just always helped everybody else be better on the field.”
While Smith said he was “shocked” the Eagles traded up to get him, he’ll at least have some built-in chemistry with his quarterback as he begins his rookie year.