Blocking Ability
The other, and often underappreciated, aspect of what tight ends are asked to do at the NFL level is blocking, especially in the run game. As with offensive linemen, this is a combination of athleticism and technique, and this is something the Smith does well. On the following plays, he uses his hands well to get inside location on the defender and shows strong arms to hold the block:
This is possibly clearest when compared to plays where he doesn’t get it right, most notably when he lets his arms get wide and struggles to control the block:
While he isn’t perfect, Smith showed consistently good hand usage at Alabama and, as can be seen from the first three plays, he also has the power to move linebackers in the run game. He also showed a fairly good pad level, though as with hand usage, there were occasional plays where this could have been better:
Finally, as a run blocker, he shows good control, avoiding leaning into blocks and limiting his risk of whiffing. Instead, he keeps his feet wide and trusts in his strength to avoid the contact without leaning into the block:
He also shows a good understanding of how his block is meant to work, and what needs to be prioritized for the play to succeed. On the following play, he initially downblocks the defensive lineman before kicking onto the linebacker, but with the linebacker having shifted back outside of him, he makes the smart decision to focus on getting the defender to move laterally rather than worrying about trying to drive him backward. By doing this, he creates a clear inside running lane:
This ability to block directionally is important for zone blocking schemes, and Smith consistently showed the ability to focus on keeping his defender in his lane rather than worrying about trying to drive his man backward:
And on the next play, he does a nice job of twisting his body to push his man wide:
These might seem like subtleties, but this suggests an unusual understanding of how to maximize the value he is able to get from his blocks.
The final thing that tight ends are sometimes asked to do as blockers is to act as pass protectors, and while this wasn’t something that Smith was asked to do much at Alabama, he flashes the kind of lateral agility that should give NFL coaches hope for his potential in this regard:
Almost every tight end will experience a significant jump in complexity from college to the NFL, and Smith will be no different, but what he showed on tape at Alabama is a combination of high level athleticism, good core skills and flashes of higher-level technique that gives him probably the highest floor of any receiver in this class. How close he is able to get to his ceiling remains to be seen, but Smith’s combination of immediate impact and long-term potential make him my highest rated right end.
Grade: Mid Second Round
Best Case NFL Comparison: OJ Howard
