Eagles' Ainias Smith: Lands on IR, designated to return
Rotowire
The Eagles placed Smith (ankle/hamstring) on injured reserve Tuesday and designated him to return, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.
After being selected in the fifth round of April's NFL Draft, Smith came on strong late in training camp and tallied eight catches on 12 targets for 43 yards during the exhibition slate. However, he suffered an ankle injury during Philadelphia's preseason finale, and an MRI indicated that he'll likely need to miss four to six weeks. Under a new NFL rule, Philadelphia was able to leave Smith off the 53-man roster, place him on IR and designate him to return. He'll need to miss at least the Eagles' first four games of the regular season.
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Eagles' Ainias Smith: Candidate to miss time
Rotowire
Smith (ankle/hamstring) underwent an MRI on Monday and could be a candidate to miss the start of the regular season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith, a rookie fifth-round pick, has impressed in the preseason and seemed to be making a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster. If Smith's MRI indeed confirms an injury that will impact his Week 1 availability, however, the Eagles could instead opt to place him on IR, which would rule him out for the first four games of the year. However, Philadelphia's recent acquisition of Jahan Dotson via trade from the Commanders makes Smith's path to a significant role in the slot murky, even if he can quickly return to full health.
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Eagles' Ainias Smith: Leads team in receptions Saturday
Rotowire
Smith caught six of nine targets for 36 yards in Saturday's 26-3 preseason loss to the Vikings. He also returned one punt for 14 yards.
The 2024 fifth-round pick led the Eagles in catches and targets Saturday as he made his final case for a home on the season-opening roster. Smith's narrow path to a significant role in the slot likely closed when Philadelphia traded for Jahan Dotson, but the Texas A&M product may have shown enough as both a receiver and a returner to claim the last spot on the wide receiver depth chart.
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Eagles' Ainias Smith: Fifth-round pickup for Philly
Rotowire
The Eagles selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 152nd overall.
Smith (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) is a short but stocky receiver who showed a fair amount of promise throughout his Texas A&M career. Given his build, it's unlikely that Smith will play much on the boundary in the NFL, but as a horizontally oriented slot type, he might surprise some with his playmaking ability. Although a fifth-year player, Smith was productive during his true freshman and sophomore seasons, so he's already proven that his standout production was not due to any age advantage. Smith should push for slot reps on offense and the punt returner role on special teams for the Eagles.
