Devonta Smith explodes into 2020 NFL Draft conversation with huge game

Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith puts himself into the 2020 NFL Draft conversation with a massive performance against Ole Miss.

In Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, Alabama has two wide receivers who will go in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Jeudy is considered by most to be the best wide receiver in a loaded class at the position and Ruggs is not far behind him. However, on Saturday, it was junior wide receiver Devonta Smith who dominated the game.

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa consistently found Smith against Ole Miss on Saturday, as the junior receiver finished with 11 receptions for a staggering 274 yards and five touchdowns. He was absolutely unstoppable on the field, consistently making plays with the ball in his hands and blowing by the Ole Miss defense with ease.

Smith is not an elite 2020 NFL Draft prospect like Jeudy and Ruggs, but this is the kind of performance that should get him squarely on the radar. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this Alabama offense, but Smith is proving himself as a player who needs to consistently be involved.

Smith is a smooth and detailed route runner who simply knows how to get open. He runs crisp and complex routes and knows how to get open at all levels of the field. Smith always seems to find his way open, whether it is by burning his defender against man coverage or finding the soft part of the zone.

Once he is open, Smith shows soft hands and does an incredible job of immediately turning into a runner after the catch. As we saw on Saturday, Smith is also a slippery and elusive player with the ball in his hands.

When it comes down to it, Smith is a guy who knows how to get open, consistently catches the ball and can make plays after the catch. He is not a freak athlete on the outside, but he has plenty of speed and quickness to make an impact at the next level.

The 2020 NFL Draft is absolutely loaded with impressive playmakers at the wide receiver position. There are as many as seven receivers who could easily find themselves in the first round. While I do not see Smith getting in that conversation, his performance on Saturday deserves some attention. You can bet that he turned some heads in NFL front offices.