Nolan Smith selected by Eagles in first round of 2023 NFL Draft

Nolan Smith, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker for the Georgia Bulldogs, has been selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft (30th overall).

Georgia North 🦅@SmithNoland2 is joining some Dawgs in Philly!#GoDawgs | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EW6GvtpJQf

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 28, 2023

Nolan Smith joins defensive lineman Jalen Carter with the Eagles, who was selected with the ninth pick. Both players will be reunited with UGA’s Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, who were drafted by Philadelphia last year.

Smith played in 14 of 15 games in 2021 and eight games in 2022 to help lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championships. In the game against Florida in 2022, Smith suffered a torn pectoral muscle which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

In 2021, Smith finished the season with 56 total tackles, which was fifth most on the team. He also recorded nine tackles for loss, 3.5 quarterback sacks, and 27 quarterback pressures.

A native of Savannah, Ga. (IMG Academy), Nolan Smith signed with Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs as part of the 2019 recruiting class. He was a 247Sports.com composite five-star prospect and was ranked as the No. 1 player nationally.

The NFL has not released the 2023 schedule yet, but will likely do that the week of May 8. However, Philadelphia’s opponents for the 2023 season have been set and can be viewed at the link below:

2023 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule