The Eagles signed Za’Darius Smith to bring something different to the pass rush after Week 1. Obviously, I had to go and have a quick look at his 2024 film. This is what I found.
Za’Darius Smith
Power rusher: Converts speed to power and can jolt tackles back immediately with his bull rush.
Versatility: Effective both outside and when kicked inside on third downs, where he overwhelms guards
Hand usage: Strong at disengaging; uses his arms well to keep blockers off his frame.
Closing speed: Quick to finish once he wins; turns pressures into sacks. You can see the burst when he gets a run at the quarterback. It’s cool to see!
High motor: Relentless pursuit, often cleaning up plays because he never quits on a rush.
Different style of rusher: Brings size and strength the Eagles otherwise lack since Brandon Graham, complements the lighter, bendier edges.
Weaknesses
Run defense effort: Not nearly as relentless against the run as he is as a pass rusher. He doesn’t give the same intensity as he does when getting after the QB.
Missed tackles: Has posted very high missed tackle rates (27–30% the past two years).
Overaggression: Can get caught upfield, losing contain and opening lanes.
Limited bend: Doesn’t consistently win by turning the corner outside; more of a bull-in-a-china-shop type.
Early-down value: Best suited for sub-packages and third downs rather than heavy run situations. He can absolutely play on early downs but I wouldn’t give him a ton of snaps on 1st down against really good rushing attacks.
Overall
Za’Darius Smith is exactly the kind of specialist pass rusher the Eagles needed to add. He gives them a dimension they simply didn’t have: a true power rusher who can collapse pockets with his bull rush, win inside against guards, and finish plays with relentless energy. On film he looks chaotic in a good way. He’s not a finesse bend-the-edge type, but a battering ram who uses strength, length, and closing burst to make life tough on offensive linemen. He fits perfectly into sub-packages on third down, where you can imagine him lined up next to Jalen Carter inside or crashing off the edge opposite Nolan Smith/Jalyx Hunt. He’s not just effective when he wins clean; he stays active and often turns effort into production with clean up sacks too.
The downside is that he’s not a complete player at this point in his career. The run defense was a little concerning at times. He’s posted extremely high missed tackle rates in recent years, and you can see why: he isn’t nearly as relentless against the run as he is as a pass rusher. He can get caught upfield, lose contain, and let runners slip by, and too often, his tackling technique lets him down despite his impressive length. That said, the Eagles didn’t bring him in to be a three-down EDGE defender. They signed him to rush the passer, and in that role, he still looks highly effective. If used correctly, Smith has the potential to be one of the most impactful additions of the offseason, bringing a different style of pressure and raising the ceiling of the defensive line. I’m excited by this one!
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.
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