NFL analyst expresses one area of concern regarding DeVonta Smith's pro potential
Turns out, there is at least one person still willing to question DeVonta Smith.
Good luck with that.
Apparently winning the Heisman Trophy, catching 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns and winning MVP of the latest College Football Playoff National Championship Game wasn’t enough to stop everyone from questioning Smith’s build when it comes to the game’s highest level.
If you missed the news from Mobile, Smith has decided not to measure in at the 2021 NFL Senior Bowl. Instead, Smith plans to do so during Alabama’s upcoming Pro Day event.
That decision has sparked a new storyline that we may have to hear about countless times before Smith is inevitably selected near the very top of the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
Here is what former NFL scout and current NFL Draft analyst Bucky Brooks had to say after learning about Smith’s decision to not participate in the measurable portion of the 2021 Senior Bowl.
“DeVonta Smith is a great player but the size is a major concern. It’s hard for some scouts to envision drafting a 170 pound WR at the top of the board… We haven’t seen a lot of ‘skinny’ WRs dominate the pro game. It is what it is,” Brooks shared.
That’s an interesting take but a rebuttal quickly came from Charles Power that shouldn’t be ignored.
During Smith’s appearance at the 2017 Army All-American Game, his arms measured in at 34 inches. No receiver at the 2021 Senior Bowl measured in with arms that long.
If any teams are worried about Smith’s measurables, remember, they don’t call him the Slim Reaper for nothing. He’s had to answer questions about his size his entire career yet it’s worked out incredibly well for him on the field to this point.
Nothing is a SURE THING when drafting in the NFL but DeVonta Smith is as close as you can get to a sure thing!
this kid has been hearing this crap all his life. we will see
Inclined to agree, he’s small and while his speed has improved, he’s not truly a burner. He’s also not going to be wide open all the time like he was because he won’t have the best offensive line, won’t be playing with other all-star receivers and won’t have Mac Jones. There’s no way I’d draft him in the top 10.
Just remember:Second and twenty-six…Touchdown….Alabama National Champions.
He burned UGA while being wide open and he had a freshman throwing the ball. Silly comment.
I don’t know what you’ve been watching, but check out his 84-yard punt return for a touchdown against Arkansas. That should correct your misunderstanding.
He is no Chase that is for sure. You want to play in the superbowl? Draft LSU players! We have the most players in the big game for a reason. Geaux tigahs!
What a homerish statement…Smitty is better than Ja’Marr Chase, and he even broke Chase’s single-season TD record.
He is better at being a string bean that is for sure… he will break playing with the big boys. Mark that down.
Sure homer…Smitty averaged double-digit YPC every year he has played. Learn what a real WR looks like.
Sat 12/5 @LSULSU
W
55-17
catches 8 Yards 231 Average YPC 28.9 Longes 65 TD’s 3
This why you so mad?
And after this next draft, Bama will eclipse that “most players” BS
Most players of any school in the superbowl… burns you gumps up don’t it? Serious question is there a single bammer in the big game?
Not really corn hog, you going from first too worse burns you corn hogs up
Most active college players in NFL in 2020
Bama 56
LSWho 32
your delusional just like most LSwho fans. your program is like Auburn with Chiznik. LSU will not contend for the west next year. Mark it down
You are one Big depleated nut sac!!! Ls WHO??? dude I shouldn’t even be replying to your foolishness!!! Smitty us better all the way around than Chase period!! its not even up for debate!
Roll MF Tide!!!
Good thing you aren’t a pro scout… stick to soccer bub.
Your comments show you should stick to miming bub. Every fan base has an idiot. What village do you live in? Actually, I enjoy your over the top comments that are used to incite responses.
How many sexual assaults did LSU cover up for their players?
Still waiting on this elusive ncaa hammer to come down…
I didn’t mention the NCAA.. I asked how many sexual assaults did #rapeU cover up..
Will you be on here in full force when that hammer comes down? We will be laughing,
Funny you should mention that as you just got NCAA violations yourself
Funny, but none of the LSU players on the Tampa side would have been there if it were not for Brady. Fournette has mostly been a bust at the pro level. And remember, Bama held him to negative yards most of the game when they tore that kitty cat team up.
I doubt there are too many scouts crazy enough to question Smith’s potential. Just look at his highlight film and his YPC average over the duration of his career at Bama – he averages double-digit yards per catch over all of his seasons there. He has made crazy catches for much of his time there.
They are questioning his size and speed.
Face it rednecks he wont be good in the NFL… see tua for reference.
tua is a qb dumbo
u cant compare a wr and a qb
What a stupid troll…this guy’s been on all the Devonta Smith articles so far
No one cares what does or doesn’t happen at the senior bowl. Smith clearly understands the reality that the senior bowl is not going to impact his draft position at all.
As a diehard Steelers fan I hate the man, but Antonio Brown is 5’10 and weighs about 180 lbs. One could easily make the argument that he was the best WR this past decade.
Just throw the ball to the kid and watch him. This crap of being this size or that size is crap. The kid can flat out play the game of football at a very high level. Notice, this dude is a former scout.
Jerry Rice was considered slow coming out of college. They also questioned his abilities since he played against lesser competition. How did that work out.
NFL scout’s concerns over “his size” doesn’t have anything to do with his wingspan from fingertip to fingertip, and anyone who wants to cite that measurement as a defense is either stupid or diverting. It’s a concern centering around playing against defensive backfields whose average speed is on par with Smith’s best 40 times (4.49)but whose average weight is 30lbs (200lbs) heavier then Smith. Bulking up to withstand the punishment brings in fears of slowing an already average 40 time for a WR (NFL average 40 for a WR is 4.48, and that’s with WR also averaging 200lbs).
It in no world means Smith can’t be a successful or even elite NFL wide receiver. Just as his obvious supremely high skill level as a wide receiver in no world means he is somehow exempt from getting his jock knocked into the dirt and missing playing time from injury. And any multi-million dollar investment having higher odds possibilities of being unable to produce to give a return on that investment due to injury is VERY valid. A wide receiver in the NFL is only available for 14 of a 16 game regular season due to injuries already with a 4.5% of injury per game. And it’s important to note that that figure counts entire rosters of all 32 teams over the entire season (based on a normal 53 man roster and 5 man practice squad and not using this past season’s exemptions to teams due to COVID19).
That said, this in nothing new with scouting. It is a listed concern year in and out,and sometimes proven right. It’s never been a factor in deciding a player’s skill. But physical size at a position that’s average career length is just shy of 3 years already remains a valid concern.
Of course, unlike the author and Charles Power I’m more concerned with data and facts rather than hyperbolic horse crap.