Devin Smith: 2015 NFL Scouting Report
Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith really made a name for himself in his senior year for the Buckeyes. He exploded on to the scene with 931 yards and 12 touchdowns on only 33 catches. A ridiculous 28.2 yards per catch, good for 1st among qualifying receivers.
Below is a scouting report highlighting his strengths and weaknesses.
STRENGTHS
The first thing that pops out about Devin Smith is his blazing speed. He explodes into his routes and eats up the cushions on man coverage with ease. Once he gets overtop of the defense, his competitiveness really shines through. He battles with defensive backs on jump balls and uses his body to shield the ball away from defensive backs. His ability to do this is very impressive, as he has average size for an NFL receiver.
This play versus Wisconsin is a perfect example of this.
Smith has a knack for making tough catches look easy. He made a lot of big plays down the field this year for Ohio State. Devin Smith also possesses nice run after the catch ability. He is always conscious of the first down marker and uses his speed to make it there. He shows this ability here versus Michigan State.
Devin Smith isn’t a great blocker on the edge, but he what he lacks in technique and strength he makes up with in willingness to get in the way of defenders and give the ball carrier a chance to make a play.
WEAKNESSES
Ohio State’s offense didn’t ask Devin Smith to run a lot of routes that are featured in NFL offenses. While Smith is a master at the go route, it remains to be seen if he can effectively work his way through a full NFL route tree. Most of his routes were slants, hitches, and go routes. At the NFL level he’s going to be asked to diversify his route running technique in order to get open versus more skilled defensive backs.
Smith should also look to improve his strength so he’s able to beat press man coverage in the NFL. This will also make him a better run blocker on the outside, even though that’s not a primary facet of his game.
DRAFT STOCK
Devin Smith should go anywhere from the end of the first round to the middle of the second round.
PLAYER COMPARISON
DeSean Jackson, Washington Redskins