Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Eagles have selected Ainias Smith, a wide receiver from Texas A&M, with the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The selection was made using a pick acquired from Washington.

Smith aims to continue his family's legacy in professional football. His father, Maurice Sr., had a nearly decade-long career as a defensive back and wide receiver in both the CFL and Arena League. His brother, Maurice II, played as a defensive back for three seasons in the NFL with Miami and Washington and was chosen by the Vegas Vipers in the 2023 XFL Draft.

During his time at Texas A&M, Smith led his team in receiving yards in 2020 and receptions in 2021 before suffering an injury four games into the 2022 season. He returned to play in 2023, achieving career-high statistics with 53 catches for 795 yards and two touchdowns, earning first-team All-SEC honors.

Smith is noted for being versatile on the field. "All-Purpose" could have been Smith's nickname during college since he is recognized as the only SEC player to achieve over 2,000 receiving yards while also gaining at least 250 yards each from rush attempts, punt returns, and kickoff returns.

Head Coach Nick Sirianni expressed enthusiasm about Smith's potential contributions: "Obviously, we were all really excited about him... It's going to be fun to see how we can get him the football and different ways that he can contribute both on special teams and on offense."

Director of Player Personnel Alan Wolking highlighted Smith's instincts and versatility: "Instincts. Versatility. Toughness... He's really good as a punt returner... He did a nice job of rounding out his resume this year."

Smith's performance metrics are impressive; according to Pro Football Focus, he caught nearly all catchable targets last season—94.7 percent—ranking among the highest marks for receivers drafted over the past decade.