For DeVonta Smith, preparing to be the best of the very best is part of his everyday life. He makes sure to take care of his body with the right foods, exercise, treatment, and recovery. He has the right mindset that a star wide receiver must have: I'm confident enough to know that I'm going to beat the man across the line of scrimmage from me, but I also know that I'm chasing perfection, and to reach that, I've got so much work to do on the little things.

This, of course, is nothing new for those who have paid a bit of attention to Smith since the Eagles selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He is a star, has been at every level he's played, and Smith takes enormous pleasure in detailing every bit of his work. Watch him before a practice session and you will see him on the sidelines catching football after football while making sure both feet stay inbounds and he will insist on bad throws to the outside, to the inside, high, and low.

"You have to work on everything," said Smith, who in 2022 set a franchise record for wide receivers with 95 receptions. He turned those catches, 10th most in the league, into 1,196 yards (eighth highest in the NFL) and seven touchdowns and together with A.J. Brown (1,496) became the Eagles' first 1,000-yard-plus receiving duo. "I try to really focus on working on all parts of my game."

Smith has had another sensational summer that is notable, as he mentioned the other day, for one thing: It is the first Training Camp that Smith has come through without missing a day, and that is important to No. 6. He has been extremely durable and he's as tough as they come – Smith caught 7 passes for 100 yards in Super Bowl LVII despite an ankle injury that may have sent some players to the sidelines – and the availability part of the equation is vital.

Teammate Darius Slay recently said that before long Smith will be the best wide receiver in the NFL, something that Smith appreciated and, in fact, returned the favor and shared the success.

"I always believe in myself going out there and the things that I do," Smith said. "Part of the reason I have so much confidence in myself is because I go against him and (James) Bradberry every day. Those guys, they teach me things that I may be doing wrong. So, having two guys like that, both outside corners, just make my job a lot easier."

It's on to Year 3 for Smith and the obvious question is how does he top what happened in 2022. That is not his focus. As many numbers as Smith brings, he is here for the winning most of all. Defenses have a lot to think about when lining up against the Eagles and Smith knows that he will get his. That's never been a concern.

In this offense, the goal is to spread it around, take advantage of defense's weaknesses, and attack, attack, attack. Smith, with his ankle-breaking route-running skills, with his speed and quickness, with his hands, with his amazing body control, will be a big part of things ahead.

"Since OTAs (Organized Team Activities) started, been out here with the new guys on the team that we have, building chemistry with those guys, coming in every day, going through daily routines with those guys, builds the excitement even more. Brings you even closer," Smith said. "I think we're all excited."