2021 NFL Draft: Stock up for Brandon Smith after great HOA Combine

The National Pandemic is making the 2021 NFL Draft process more difficult for everybody involved. With the NFL Scouting Combine not taking place like it usually does, we will likely put more of an emphasis on Pro Day performances this year. However, it is always difficult to trust those Pro Day numbers.

We are seeing some private combine events pop up and they are giving us more athletic testing numbers for these 2021 NFL Draft prospects. This past week, House of Athlete ran their own combine event for 2021 NFL Draft prospects and a heavy media presence at the event allowed for some expanded hype for certain prospects. In particular, Brandon Smith, an athletic wide receiver prospect out of Iowa, put on a show.

According to The Draft Network, Smith wowed scouts with a 44-inch vertical leap, 135-inch broad jump and 4.56 40-yard dash time at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. He also threw up 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Simply put, Smith put on an absolute show this past week, displaying his explosive athletic ability for all to see. His 44-inch vertical would have been the second-highest of any prospect at last year’s NFL Combine, trailing only 44.5-inch vertical put up by Donovan Peoples-Jones. Smith’s 135-inch broad jump would have ranked fifth out of all prospects at last year’s NFL Combine, and his 22 bench press reps would have ranked second out of all wide receivers.

Make no mistake about it, with athletic testing like this, Smith would have been one of the major stories at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine if it were to take place as usual. While the HOA Combine is never going to get the same kind of hype, these testing numbers are legitimate and need to be taken seriously when we talk about his 2021 NFL Draft stock.

That being said, his lack of production throughout his college career certainly counts for something. Through 29 games during his four-year career at Iowa, Smith only caught 91 passes for 1,041 yards and nine touchdowns. His best season came in 2019 when he hauled in 37 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. Last year, Smith caught 23 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.

While these numbers are obviously uninspiring, it is hard to knock Smith for limited production at Iowa. The Hawkeyes feature a run-heavy offensive attack and have are not exactly loaded with premier quarterback talent. Smith did the most with what he had to work with and while the lack of production is not ideal, it should not be surprising when he is playing in that offense.

What is real is Smith’s tremendous athleticism. He showed it on the field for the Hawkeyes when he did get the opportunity to make plays and proved it with his testing at the HOA Combine. Smith will have another opportunity to show off his extreme athletic upside at Iowa’s Pro Day on March 22nd.

Athletic testing numbers alone do not make an early-round draft prospect. However, this kind of test should certainly get Smith on the late-round radar. A big and athletic target like this can certainly make an impact at the next level and is worth a late-round flier in the 2021 NFL Draft. On Day 3, teams should undoubtedly have Brandon Smith squarely on their radar.