Nolan Smith Jr. is heading into 2026 with the kind of pressure that leaves no room for a slow start.
Among the Philadelphia Eagles, few players are carrying a heavier burden than the edge rusher, who missed time last season with a triceps injury and finished with 31 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble. His offseason also included an arrest, coming shortly after the Eagles picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie contract.
That backdrop makes ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak’s latest take worth paying attention to. In picking one breakout candidate for every team in 2026, Solak went with Smith for Philadelphia.
"The typical breakout name at pass rusher in Philadelphia is Jalyx Hunt, and understandably so. Hunt stayed healthy throughout 2025 and has shown a penchant for timely playmaking over his two years in the pros.
But on a snap-by-snap basis, Smith is right there with Hunt. He posted a 16.3% pressure rate to Hunt's 17.3%, and his 4.7% quick pressure rate edged out Hunt's 4.3%.
Smith spent last offseason rehabbing from a torn triceps and missed time in the regular season for the same injury, so it's fair to wonder whether he was ever at full strength in 2025.
Smith is a preposterously powerful run defender for his 6-foot-2, 238-pound size, which gives him more viability on early downs than Hunt. Both are good breakout candidates, and it's likely they contribute equally opposite new starter Jonathan Greenard. But I still weigh Smith's rare physical traits a little heavier than Hunt's toolbox."
There’s plenty in that evaluation that explains why Smith still has believers. He flashed real pass-rush juice in 2024, when he stepped up after Bryce Huff got hurt and posted 6.5 sacks while helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
The comparison with Hunt is where things get interesting. Hunt brings a different kind of value, with the versatility to drop into coverage and create turnovers at a higher rate than Smith. That showed up last year, when Hunt led the Eagles in sacks with 6.5 and interceptions with three, becoming the first player in franchise history to do that.
Smith, though, remains the more straightforward edge threat. He gets off the line fast and can hurry the quarterback even when the play doesn’t finish with a sack. According to Pro Football Focus, he logged 33 pressures and 24 hurries in 226 pass-rushing snaps in 2025.
Training camp should sort out how the Eagles want to handle the rotation, and the battle between Smith and Hunt will be one of the more interesting jobs to watch. Greenard is expected to be the top option, but the starter opposite him could wind up seeing more snaps.
For Smith, the assignment is simple: produce in Year 4 or risk becoming expendable. Another season like 2025 could leave him as trade bait for the Eagles next offseason.
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