Roquan Smith 2018 NFL Draft Profile

Roquan Smith 2018 NFL Draft Profile

Roquan Smith played linebacker as well as wide receiver in high school, a testament to his rare athletic skill set. Smith was named the Class AA Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Sentinel in his senior year and ranked second among linebacker recruits in 2015. In his freshman year at Georgia, Smith recorded 20 tackles in limited action. Smith’s profile grew when he made 95 tackles as a sophomore and became a versatile presence in Georgia’s front seven.

Smith enjoyed a prolific junior year as the Bulldogs went 13-1, but fell 26-23 to Alabama in the National Championship Game. In 15 games, Smith led the SEC with 137 tackles (14 for loss) and grew as a pass rusher with a team-leading 6.5 sacks. Smith was named a consensus All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts. He also became the first Bulldog to take home the Dick Butkus award.

Smith has been criticized by scouts for his low weight, but he’s made a clear effort to bulk up in recent years. Coming out of high school Smith weighed just 200 pounds, but he grew to 225 pounds by the time he was a junior. Smith has continued to fill his frame, weighing in at 236 pounds at the NFL Combine. The extra bulk didn’t seem to affect Smith’s athleticism either, as he ran the second-fastest 40-time among linebacker prospects.

Strengths

Stays disciplined in zone coverage, doesn’t abandon his assignment or come up too early when pursuing scrambling quarterbacks;

Reads and reacts quickly, doesn’t hesitate in his diagnosis;

Great tackler with the ability to lay big hits;

Didn’t blitz frequently at Georgia, but proved to be a capable pass rusher as a junior;

Effective spy linebacker against mobile quarterbacks;

Able to get outside quickly, outrun blockers, and contain sweeps;

Rarely falls victim to cut moves by elusive runners;

Always in pursuit of the ballcarrier regardless of proximity.

Weaknesses

Struggles to break blocks and will avert blockers instead, leaving his gap vulnerable;

Has issues stuffing downhill runs in his direction, gets swallowed up at the point of attack;

Plays over-aggressively at times, falling victim to misdirection;

Doesn’t have ideal size for an NFL MIKE linebacker.

NFL Comparison: Deion Jones

Projection: Early to mid first round

Bottom Line

The 2018 NFL draft class is full of fast, versatile linebackers and Smith headlines this exciting position group. Smith’s tape shows a rare combination of range and instincts that jumps off the screen, and he’s likely to be a day one NFL starter. He excels in pass coverage, particularly in zone schemes, and he flies to the ball on outside runs. He is undersized though, and Smith’s lack of strength hindered his ability to break blocks and make plays on power runs in college. However, the rest of Smith’s game is relatively sound and he should be one of the first linebackers to come off the board.

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