Eagles sign first-round pick Nolan Smith to rookie contract
The Eagles on Monday announced that they signed first-round pick Nolan Smith to his rookie contract.
Smith is the sixth Eagles draft pick to sign this spring and theres just one left to go. Fellow Georgia Bulldog and fourth-round Kelee Ringo remains unsigned.
But the Eagles now have Jalen Carter, Smith, Tyler Steen, Sidney Brown, Tanner McKee and Moro Ojomo under contract as OTAs begin next week. Carter was the first first-round pick of 2023 to sign earlier this offseason.
Smith, 22, was the No. 30 overall pick out of Georgia in this draft. This contract will be a standard four-year deal but will include a fifth-year option as Smith is a first-round pick. That means Smith is under contract through 2026 with an option in 2027 that must be exercised in the 2026 offseason. Carters contract also includes the fifth-year option.
According to OverTheCap, here are the expected base salaries and cap figures for Smith during his rookie contract:
2023: $750,000 / $2,180,438
2024: $1,295,110 / $2,725,548
2025: $1,840,220 / $3,270,658
2026: $2,385,330 / $3,815,768
OTC estimates the Eagles rookie pool for 2023 is just over $11 million and the Eagles will need about $5.8 million in cap space this season for the rookie class.
The slotted rookie scale established in the 2011 CBA has made these contracts come together much easier over the last decade. The days of rookie training camp holdouts are long over.
Smith was a two-year starter at Georgia and a two-time national champion. While hes undersized at 6-2, 238 pounds, Smith is a freak athlete, has impressive pass rush ability and is likely just scratching the surface. The Eagles were able to get the most out of an undersized rusher in Haason Reddick during the 2022 season and Smith has that kind of upside.
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