Throughout the pre-draft process, wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s size was a topic of conversation.
The 2020 Heisman Trophy winner reportedly weighed in at 166 pounds at the medical check for NFL prospects in the spring — a figure that may have concerned some talent evaluators.
Obviously the Eagles weren’t worried about it, moving to No. 10 overall to select Smith.
The young receiver hasn’t yet put on pads for practice in the league. But according to offensive tackle Lane Johnson, Smith was still impressive during the offseason program — so much so that Smith’s teammates gave him a nickname.
“We call him the ‘Slim Reaper,’” Johnson said during a Monday interview on NFL Network. “He’s impressed early on in camp, his change of direction, his ball skills. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he does show a whole lot of what he’s capable of. I think when you have a guy that high caliber, I think he does nothing but bring everybody else along in the receiving corps. So we’re excited about him. I think he’s going to do tremendous things this year. And yeah, the Slim Reaper — watch out for him.”
Smith isn’t the first to have that nickname; the NBA’s Kevin Durant has been going by the moniker for years. But if Smith can become another one of the league’s dynamic young receivers, Johnson and his teammates probably won’t be the only ones calling Smith the Slim Reaper in 2021 and beyond.