Scouting Report
Smith casts a pretty imposing shadow from the defensive
secondary. He's tall with long arms and legs and is a long strider, able
to get to top speed in a hurry. He's been primarily a cornerback in
college but his build and skill set seems to better matchup with FS in the
NFL. He's not the most agile guy and looks a little stiff at times, but he
plays hard, with supreme aggression and intensity, which will lend itself to a
move to safety. He's an interesting study because he's able to keep his
hips low in the backpedal, he does well reading the quarterback, and has good balls
skills. However, he doesn't turn very well, and doesn't have elite catchup
speed, so he has parts of a good CB and parts of a good S without being a finished
product at either. His measurables will probably push him to safety.
Draft Status
Mark it down, Smith will be drafted earlier than his level
of development or play deserves. Not his fault at all, but some team
is going to look at that height, those long arms, and his stat line and think
they can turn him into the next great FS/CB. At this point many have him
as the top safety in this draft class, and I suppose he could be, but I didn't
see what I needed to see from him on the field to warrant a first round
pick. At this point, he's the best of a mediocre group and that will get
him a first round grade. Philly needs a safety, as does Pittsburgh, so
look for a team in the bottom 8-10 picks to take a shot on
him.
Final analysis
Coming soon…
Reminds me of: No one really
6'4" defensive backs are pretty uncommon in
the NFL. He certainly passes the eyeball test of a ball hawking FS, but
I'm just not sure if he's a good enough football player to be consistent in
coverage, nor if he's stout enough to get his nose dirty in the run game. He's a high motor player and plays with great intensity, but I am not sure if
that's enough to make him a great football player.
Red Flags: None
Scouting Report written by Curtis Popejoy |
