Time flies. 

And already, players and teams in the 2021 NFL Draft Class are conceptualizing if they are worth their drafted team picking up their fifth-year option. Some of those names worth thinking about include Micah Parsons, Trevor Lawrence, Ja'Marr Chase,  and in the Philadelphia Eagles' case, DeVonta Smith. 

If the Eagles plan on continuing to compete, shelling out a fifth-year option to Smith should be a no-brainer decision. 

Though Smith doesn't play in a pass-heavy offensive system, he still managed to cross the 1,000-yard threshold in his second season in the league. 

He and A.J. Brown also became the first pair of Eagles receivers to each eclipse the 1,000-yard marker in the same season. 

Smith is an impressive wide receiver who possesses a knack for doing a lot with a little. The Athletic recently ranked players from the 2021 draft class, attempting to delineate if Smith was worth a fifth-year option. 

The Athletic labeled Smith a "Tier 1 Franchise Cornerstone" player well deserving of a fifth-year option on his rookie contract for much of the same reason expressed in the paragraphs above. 

"Of the top three receivers in this class, Smith is in the least prolific passing offense," Diante Lee, of The Athletic, writes. "What that costs in volume, however, hasn’t affected his efficiency or explosiveness. Though he ranks outside of the top 10 in target rate, explosive gains and catches resulting in first downs or TDs, he’s in the top 10 for EPA per target — he ranks third when defenses play man. When Philadelphia needs to get him the ball, it often results in good offense. The questions about Smith’s size were unfounded, as he’s been impossible to press or bully in tight coverage. Smith could be this era’s Marvin Harrison. He’s well on his way to being a legitimate top option and should be receiving his fifth-year option."

The writing is on the wall. With Smith, the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. He works well with Brown. And he doesn't need a large volume of targets to be a productive pass-catching threat. 

If the Eagles don't label him as a fifth-year option guarantee, that would be intense franchise malpractice. 

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Feature image via Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports.