http://subscribers.footballguys.com...mon_receptionperception_nfldraft_devinsmith15 sounds like they think that worst case he's torrey smith
Is he as raw on route running as they were saying on draft day? It seems like that the was the big knock on him.
From what I've read from coaches that had him at Ohio State they said that Smith did exactly what they asked him to do which was use his speed to get down field. They said he had no issues running routes but that wasn't what they wanted him to do. I'm not worried about Smith at all.
If Devon Smith turns out to be Torrey Smith, then we've nailed it. That's what I don't get about people calling him a one trick pony. It's kind of lazy to do that. He obviously was doing what he was asked to do at Ohio State.
It's the typical haters in the media trying to take the shine off the Jets new regime . If I was the coach I'd be posting those articles in his locker every morning . If that ain't motivation idk what is? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Devin Smith is going to surprise a lot of Jets fans. He reminds me so much of DeSean Jackson. Always thought that when he played on Saturdays, he has been my favorite receiver on that team since he got there. He was unfortunately misused at OSU because of scheme and inexperience at QB. We also have some really good receivers all around, so Smiths bread and butter was deep, so it made since. Smith should be a good one, I would say that even if I wasn't a Jet/OSU fan. I liked him much better than Holmes coming out of OSU, without question. Lastly, Smith truly did make those QB's much better with his speed, ability to track the ball, and great hands. My two cents. For what its worth.
^ he may remind you of DeSean Jackson but from what I have seen he doesn't possess the quickness our speed of Jackson. I do think that he has a lot more potential than some of the fools that were doodooing all over him the day of the draft think though, he has some serious deep ball skills and I do think he can turn bubble screens into good yardage, but he needs a lot of work for the middle routes
My concern is that he has the heart of a track athlete. He wasn't tackled at all last year. I hope he can take a hit and be a physical player.
Smith is very comparable from a speed and quickness standpoint. They both had similar combine numbers to back that up. Watching him in college, he moves just like Jackson. I will hold firm on that analysis. He doesn't need a lot of work for middle routes, he caught and ran them in college. He just wasn't primarily asked to do so.
He got tackled on a ton of deep balls, he also got tackled on the few intermediate routes he did have the oppurtunity to run. He takes a hit fine. Being physical is actually my only concern with him, I'm not worried about his physicality on job balls because he does that well, actually he excels at it, I'm worried about his physicality at the LOS, how he can handle NFL press. That is my only concern.
I remember before he got drafted somebody on NFLN say that Smith was on a mission at the Combine, and his Pro Day, to prove his versatility, and that he did well. I would think Mac had a representative at his PD. I think his stoutness to take hits would be a concern. Doesn't mean he's not tough tho. Otherwise the one trick pony label is being over blown, imo. We'll see tho.
Thanks for your insight. I haven't watched a lot of Smith's tape (just a couple videos on Draft Breakdown), so you've probably see a lot -- if not all -- of his games. Would you say that you're concerned because he doesn't handle press at the LOS well or because he hasn't faced a lot of that (at least from equal talent) at the collegiate level?
Physically Smith will be more than adequate. He's wiry strong. He's also over 6' and almost 200 lbs so a good deal bigger than DJax.
Yeah I have seen his combine numbers I just don't see them translate to the field in his college career, maybe if you know if some specific examples you can highlight them. As far as the middle field routes he has a very very limited amount of film to prove anything of the sort. Yeah I know you are an Ohio St. Fan so you have a stake in this but you also have better resources to provide some proof so you should do so.
This study by Harmon on Smith is very impressive. This particular part caught by eye: "Smith is at a near mastery level in each of those advanced wide receiver attributes. He has an outstanding knack for leaving his feet at the perfect time to beat a defender in the air. Most receivers lose sight of the ball, or throw their hands up too early and out of place, when making a play in the air. Smith, on the other hand, is nearly flawless in this regard. There might not be another receiver who tracks the ball, and wins contested passes down the field in this class better than Devin Smith. A 100% contested catch conversion rate, coupled with strong catch and drop rates, lend credence to the conclusions that Devin Smith has strong hands. His toughness in the air, and proficiency at the catch point are what adds to his appeal beyond the typical deep threat. Even more so, Smith’s ability to win and separate at all levels of the field will make general managers hesitant to let him slip past their first round pick."
Every time I watched him in college and every highlight I see now he seems to blow past the defender. Its going to be interesting to see how much of that is raw speed/talent and how much of is it going against the 2nd CB from Michigan St or Purdue.
What's not to get? While he may have flashed the ability to develop into a well rounded WR, he was a one trick pony at OSU. I'm sure there's tape of him running a variety of different routes, just not a lot of it; not unlike Mariota and NFL throws. Even if he develops to nothing more than a one trick pony, there's nothing wrong with it as long as he's exceptional at his one trick. John Abraham is a perfect example of this, he's made a great career out of being a speed rusher and pretty much nothing else.
While Smith has shown he can consistently get deep like Jackson, he doesn't have the open field elusive that Jackson has. Jackson ability to make people miss in space is why he is a terrific punt returner as well as a deep threat. Smith also has a couple of inches and 20 or so pounds on Jackson.
