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Former Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon becomes first NFL Draft pick to sign
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Former Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon has signed his rookie contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The defending Super Bowl champs announced 4 signings on Friday, Mondon among them. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mondon’s deal is a 4-year contract worth $4.595 million. He was the first rookie from the 2025 NFL Draft class to sign a deal with his new team, according to Schefter’s report.
Mondon was 1 of 13 Georgia draft picks during last week’s NFL Draft. He was taken in the fifth round with the 161st overall pick.
A multi-year starter for the Dawg defense, Mondon contributed 76 tackles and 8 tackles for loss during Georgia’s repeat championship season in 2022. He finished his Georgia career with 212 tackles, 18 TFLs, and 8 sacks across 51 games.
When assistant Philadelphia GM Alec Halaby broke down the class after the draft concluded, he admitted he was surprised Mondon was still available in the fifth round when the Eagles went back on the clock.
“Really smart kid – they run a complex defense there and he understands it all. He’s an analytical person and that fits with us because we ask our linebackers to solve problems on the field and he is someone who can do that,” Halaby said. “What you see from him in the pass game is that he can match tight ends and he can match running backs. He has that kind of movement skill and looseness and agility and speed and then in the run game he is someone who will come downhill and violently destroy a block.
“We do a really good job of teaching run destruction here, and he’s only going to get better with that. He processes the triangle well when he hits it and he is hitting it hard.”
The Eagles are holding their rookie mini-camp on Friday and Saturday. Team OTAs run May 27-June 5. Mandatory mini-camp begins on June 10.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
