2021 NFL Draft: Alabama WR DeVonta Smith deserves more praise
Alabama’s DeVonta Smith should be considered one of the top wide receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft class.
The 2021 NFL Draft class is absolutely loaded with talent at the wide receiver position. Last year’s class was great, but this year’s group could be even better. Guys like Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle will likely see more of the headlines, but Devonta Smith could easily end up being the best player at the wide receiver position in this class.
Smith proved himself once again this past week with a brilliant performance against Georgia. Against a Georgia secondary loaded with NFL talent, Smith hauled in 11 catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 38 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns on the year and has set himself up for a massive senior season.
Smith is commonly considered a likely first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft but does not get the kind of attention of other receivers in the class. This mostly has to do with his lack of size and explosive athleticism compared to other prospects.
While Smith’s raw athleticism is never going to blow you away, he is a consistent playmaker who always seems to be the key receiver on a big play. Smith is an elite-level route runner who does a fantastic job of finding space at all times. He does a fantastic job of making plays in the middle of the field and is also an impressive big-play weapon who has the speed to win deep and tracks the ball in the air at a high level.
Smith also shows incredibly consistent hands at all times. He does a great job of catching the ball away from his body and gets upfield extremely quickly after the catch. Smith shows an impressive combination of short-area quickness and natural elusiveness in the open field that allows him to be a great playmaker after the catch.
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Simply put, Smith is a tremendous wide receiver prospect who has a safe floor and a high ceiling at the next level. He is not going to be the sexiest first-round receiver pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he could easily be the best.