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Eagles fans and Jalen Hurts react to the DeVonta Smith draft pick

With Smith on his way to Philly, there's reason to be excited.

DeVonta Smith was briefly teammates with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts at Alabama. Smith was selected by the Eagles with the No. 10 pick of the NFL draft.
DeVonta Smith was briefly teammates with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts at Alabama. Smith was selected by the Eagles with the No. 10 pick of the NFL draft.Read moreKevin C. Cox / MCT

Surprise, surprise.

The Eagles selected a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft for the second consecutive season, but this year’s pick was met with far less scrutiny. They took Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, who some mock drafts had as the top receiver in the draft, with the 10th overall pick Thursday night, a year after the Eagles made the questionable decision to select Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson.

Smith was a popular choice before the Eagles traded out of the sixth spot, so getting him at 10 feels somewhat like a reversal of last season.

Howie Roseman receives brotherly love

It’s amazing how much one pick can change the tide. Eagles fans and mock drafts had pictured Smith in Philly months ago. The fact that general manager Howie Roseman gained draft ammunition while getting their guy is being received well.

Smith’s new teammates welcome him to Philly

Players seemed just as excited as the fans. Several teammates sent congratulatory messages to Smith on Twitter. One that was notable was Darius Slay’s message, where he declared, “me and you, every day.”

Those battles will be fun.

Smith and Jalen Hurts reunite

The Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase re-pairing was a popular one before the draft, but after the Eagles traded back to 12, the Jalen Hurts-DeVonta Smith reconnection seemed like wishful thinking.

The former Alabama teammates are back together, and as excited as the other Eagles players are, it might be hard to top Hurts’ happiness. He’s getting a player he knows well, and another pass catcher.