Position: Tight end
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 255 pounds
School: Stanford Cardinal
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.92 seconds
Bench press: 15 reps
Vertical jump: 32 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet
Three-cone drill: 7.08 seconds (third-best among tight ends)
20-yard shuttle: 4.47 seconds
Kaden Smith 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Stanford Cardinals tight end Kaden Smith is declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft after just 20 games at the collegiate level. While he probably would have benefitted from another year at Stanford, Smith has put up enough tape to ensure that he’ll hear his name called during the draft. Smith appeared in nine games during 2018, recording 47 receptions for 635 yards and two touchdowns. His impressive play made him a Mackey Award finalist and a Second-Team All-Pac 12 selection.
Smith initially joined the Cardinals back in 2016 as a five-star recruit. However, Smith didn’t see the field during his first year in college. The Texas native earned a spot on the field in 2017, showing promise as a red zone threat. Appearing in 11 games, Smith recorded 23 receptions for 414 yards and five touchdowns.
Throughout the course of his two-year collegiate career, Smith has recorded 70 receptions for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns. Stanford has a long history of developing NFL-caliber tight ends, and Smith is looking to be the next product of that impressive program.
Strengths
- NFL-caliber size and speed for the position;
- good lateral movement and agility;
- ability to get open in the seam;
- above-average catch radius;
- wins contested catches at an acceptable rate;
- 15.0 yards-per-reception in college shows his ability to pick up chunk yardage.
Weaknesses
- subpar athlete across the board;
- struggles to gain separation against speedier linebackers;
- lack of strength makes him a liability as a run blocker;
- route tree lacks polish;
- overall raw player who needs more time to develop.
NFL Comparison: Scott Chandler
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans
Projection: Rounds five to six
Bottom Line
Despite coming from a school known for tight ends, Kaden Smith doesn’t bring anything special to the table. The Texas native appeared in just 20 games throughout his college career and his inexperience shows on the tape. Smith isn’t as fast or strong as you’d like, and he’s a one-dimensional tight end who doesn’t bring much to the blocking game. Making matters worse, Smith had one of the worst Combine performances of anyone in attendance.
That said, there is a reason Smith decided to declare for the NFL Draft in the first place. The former five-star recruit has a knack for picking up chunk yardage and making big plays in the passing game. He’s best when going up the seam but his strong contested catch ability ensures that he can make a big play at any time, even if he’s not open. While his overall game remains unpolished, he has the raw ability to develop into an above-average route runner.
Smith will get a shot to earn a spot on an NFL roster, but he’s no guarantee to make a team. In all honesty, it might be best for him if he starts the season on a practice squad. Smith is still an incredibly raw prospect and spending time focused solely on his own development could be the best thing for him. However, even if he reaches his ceiling, his low athleticism means he’ll probably never be anything more than a TE2.
Main photo:
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