DALLAS — Monday night will be a day of many firsts for Eagles rookie receiver DeVonta Smith.
It will be Smith's first primetime NFL matchup, and his first taste of the historic Eagles-Cowboys rivalry.
There will also be a sense of familiarity for the former Heisman winner.
When Smith first walks up to the line of scrimmage at Jerry World, he will be very familiar with the defensive back that lines up across from him:
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Smith and Diggs were teammates for three seasons at Alabama, winning a national championship together in the 2017-18 season.
Throughout the years, one could imagine the countless battles between the two at practice. Considering the amount of reps Smith and Diggs likely had against each other, it could also be assumed that these former teammates, now turned rivals, are very familiar with the other's style, tendencies, and overall thought process on the field.
That should make for an entertaining battle on the outside. It will likely be more entertaining than it would have been a year ago, at least for the Cowboys.
As a rookie, Diggs struggled throughout the majority of the 2020 season after Dallas selected him in the second round.
He was one of Pro Football Focus's (PFF) lowest graded starting corners, and even though he was able to intercept Carson Wentz twice during the last prime-time matchup with the Eagles, he wasn't nearly the player he is starting out in Year Two.
Ask now-practice squad receiver Travis Fulgham what kind of challenge Diggs was....or wasn't in 2020.
Now, Diggs heads into Week 3 playing like a top cornerback in the league.
According to PFF, only Los Angeles Rams defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and Los Angeles Chargers rookie cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. have forced a lower passer rating to opposing quarterbacks than Diggs, who has allowed only a 42.0 passer rating when targeted.
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As for DeVonta Smith, the rookie had an impressive start to his NFL career, with six catches for 71 yards and one touchdown in the Eagles Week 1 blowout win against the Atlanta Falcons.
He followed that up with an uninspiring performance against a banged-up San Francisco 49ers defensive back group. Smith had just two receptions for 16 yards on the day.
The lackluster showing wasn't all on Smith.
On an early passing play, QB Jalen Hurts failed to hit Smith in stride, deep down the field, after the rookie created clear separation heading into the end zone.
The 2021 first round pick nearly hauled in another deep pass from Hurts in the first half, despite being blanketed by double coverage.
Those were two plays that could have changed the narrative behind Smith's Week 2 performance. Regardless, he didn't do enough.
Smith has higher expectations than other weapons on the Eagles offense. He is the top receiver that is supposed to be the consistent force in the passing attack. The top receiver is one that can destroy a weak secondary, and still find a way to produce against stronger ones.
Philadelphia will need the Week 1 version of Smith against Diggs if they want to keep up with a loaded cast of stars on the Cowboys offense.