When it comes to studying DeVonta Smith’s game, the majority of feedback from scouts and talent evaluators project the rising senior receiver to be a first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Respected NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, however, is willing to take his analysis of Smith to another level after studying the tape of Alabama’s leading returning receiver.

While Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs deserve all the praise thrown their way for their performance on the field last season, it was Smith that led Alabama in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns among the Crimson Tide’s vaunted group of pass-catchers in 2019. After hauling in 68 passes for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns, Smith is back to prove he can be Alabama’s No. 1 receiver on a weekly basis in the rugged SEC.

Jeremiah recently studied every single target Smith had during the 2019 season and wrote a detailed analysis of the receiver for NFL.com. One of the key sections of the analysis piece by Jeremiah is the comparison breakdown.

According to Jeremiah, who has been working the NFL Draft for over a decade, Smith reminds him of former Indianapolis Colt standout receiver and 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Marvin Harrison:

I couldn’t find an obvious comparison in today’s NFL. However, I did see some glimpses of Marvin Harrison while studying Smith. I hate comparing college kids to Hall of Famers, but Smith and Harrison have several things in common: lean builds, crisp route-running, excellent hands and toughness. I think Harrison was more sudden and explosive, but Smith’s playing style is quite similar. I will give Smith the nod in one area: I believe he’s more physical than Harrison. (Coaches at Alabama think Smith could start for them at cornerback.)

Talk about high praise for a college receiver.

If Jeremiah’s analysis of Smith is anything close to the writeups being done by NFL teams on the Alabama receiver, it’s safe to pencil the rising senior as the next in a long line of first-round selections to come out of Tuscaloosa under Nick Saban.