Shane Smith: New York Giants undrafted free agent steal
The New York Giants added some firepower to their offense early in the 2017 NFL Draft, but got a bruiser at FB on the UDFA heap in Shane Smith…
Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned, hard-nosed fullback? The New York Giants didn’t find one during the 2017 NFL Draft, but after its conclusion, they came away with perhaps the best one in the class in San Jose State’s Shane Smith.
Shane Smith is 6-foot-1, and 244 pounds of rocked up muscle.
San Jose State FB Shane Smith signs with the New York Giants & LB Christian Tago signs with the Atlanta Falcons as undrafted free agents. pic.twitter.com/UWY7EaCNtb
— Luke Johnson (@Scoop_Johnson) April 30, 2017
More than just a physique, Smith knows how to deliver punishing blocks from the fullback position, and could be a major weapon for the Giants both offensively and on every special teams unit.
Those were the two primary roles he played while at San Jose State, not really making a major impact statistically with the offense. Where he really caught the eye of NFL scouts was at the San Jose State pro day, where he ran a respectable 4.81 second 40-yard dash, and showed off his unbelievable strength with 36 bench press reps of 225 pounds.
He was apparently shooting for 40…
A vertical jump of 37 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, six inches were enough to earn Smith a shot as an undrafted free agent, and when you watch him play, it’s not tough to see how this guy can make a mark on an NFL offense.
That tape is from 2015 when Smith was blocking for Tyler Ervin, who is now in the NFL with the Houston Texans. It’s clear that Smith has an understanding of where he needs to be at exactly the right time, and he packs a big time punch.
If he can find some way to add value as a receiver out of the backfield, he’ll make it pretty tough for the Giants to cut him when the time comes. He has all the tools to be an effective blocking fullback, and could help open up holes for the Giants’ running game immediately.