The Eagles have only played one game this season, but the plan for DeVonta Smith in 2024 is already taking shape.

He’s going to play a lot in the slot.

Based on Smith’s usage this summer, that’s no surprise. But in Smith’s first game in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense, he played a career-high in snaps in the slot.

What makes Smith so good inside?

“Yeah, I think he’s just doing a great job,” Moore said. “He’s got great spatial awareness, great feel for the game. I think when you’re playing inside receiver, there’s a lot more variables. There’s a nickel on you, but there’s a safety, there’s backers. You’ve got to have the awareness to see all those aspects — great spatial awareness to recognize how those moving pieces change the picture for you. So I think he’s done a great job of finding space in the zone a couple of times.

“He had that crucial 4th-and-3, big time play where he saw one defender outside him and one defender inside him, he turned him tight, hooked him, Jalen (Hurts) saw him. Those are big time plays. They’re not easy to see spatially in that quick moment. He’s going to continue to play outside in different roles and different situations, and we’re going to move those guys around. AJ (Brown) is going to be there at times. That’s the beauty of what we have in the receiver group, those guys can play anywhere on the field.”

Against the Packers, Smith played 76 total snaps on offense, and 41 of those (53.9%) were in the slot. Not only is that the most snaps he’s ever played in his career, but that percentage is also much higher than his career slot percentage.

Below is a breakdown of Smith’s slot snaps over the first three years of his career, per ProFootballFocus:

2024: 41/76 (53.9%)

2023: 273/1,100 photos (24.8%)

2022: 270/1,288 photos (21.0%)

2021: 105/982 photos (10.7%)

“I think it just depends on the game plan, it depends on who we’re playing,” Smith said of playing the slot for Week 1. “Ultimately, it’s up to the coaches. We won’t know until the game plan comes together.”

Even before we saw the Eagles practice this summer, there was speculation that Smith would play a lot inside in 2024. In addition to his obvious ability to thrive in the slot, Moore has a history of drafting some of his best receivers there.

Think back to CeeDee Lamb in Dallas and Keenan Allen with the Chargers, Moore has gotten a lot of production from his top receivers playing inside.

That will not change in 2024.

“I’ll be anywhere,” Smith said. “I don’t care.”

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