Lets set the stage, 117 Receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 TD’s, 2020 Biletnikoff Award winner, 2020 Unanimous All-American, and 2020 Heisman Trophy winner. For a wide receiver, that sounds like the best season we’ve seen in decades and possibly ever for college football. What if I told you, that even with all those accolades and a storied career at the best program in college football, analysts believe that this player is the 3rd best Wide Receiver in this year’s draft and some say he should be picked outside the top 15? If you have not caught on yet, were currently discussing DeVonta Smith. Possibly the most polarizing Wide Receiver in College Football, and maybe of all time. DeVonta attended the University of Alabama, playing football in the arguably the best football conference in the nation, and had the best season in school history. Better than prior seasons from players such as: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Juedy, and Amari Cooper.
The “tale of the tape” for the Alabama product’s career: he started played in 47 games throughout his Alabama career; seeing most of his action in his Sophomore-Senior seasons. The last two years he has hit over 1000+ yards receiving while catching ~79% of his targets, amassing 48 touchdowns, while still contributing on and off in the return game (Punt and Kick return). All the while, he has never missed extended time due to injury. When you flip on the tape, you see a player who is extremely fluid in and out of breaks. He’s surgical with his stems, stacking defenders. He’s so precise in and out of breaks that most of the time defenders never get a chance to put hands on him or to throw him off his route. This is mainly a part of his release package where he’s already won with a couple yard of the line of scrimmage. He is not an absolute burner when it comes to speed but seems as though he’s always breaking free down the field and leaving defenders in his wake.
His hands are incredibly soft, and he makes catching the ball look effortless. Against the Georgia Bulldogs this year, he was competing against Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes (projected 1st through 3rd round CBs). Both corners are sub 4.4 guys who are sticky in coverage. When they were able to run with DeVonta, they were draped all over him fighting to the ground for the ball, but it seemed like time and time again he’s securing the catch. Early in the second quarter you see him release deep along the sideline, but he breaks back toward the ball. He didn’t know that the underneath defender sunk and was making a play on the ball in the flat, and neither did Mac Jones. The defender beats Smith there by fractions of a second, but who else comes up with the ball but Smith? The announcers were speechless. It’s no wonder when his former teammates are interviewed, they have nothing but glowing reviews on his hands. How good could his hands really be? For reference, according to Playerprofiler.com his catch rate of 79% is ~4-5% better than Jerry Juedy and almost 10% better than Cedee Lamb (two of the best receivers from last years’ draft), and 4% better than Jamar Chase in his final year at LSU. Basically, DeVonta is like a 3 year old going into daycare for the first time, the guy catches EVERYTHING.
He is able to win in contested situations often letting his game, play bigger than his frame. When you look back a consistent theme was how he was always extending for the ball or going up and getting it. Like a rebound off the backboard, he high points it, secures it, and brings it back down. 2019 vs LSU, he’s running down the sideline step for step with Derek Stingley (possibly the best CB in college football) when he stops on a dime, launches in the air, and rips the ball back down. That’s elite play, in a huge situation. Or fast forward to 2020 vs Missouri. He’s painting the sideline full extension, snagging the ball mid-air, often a couple feet in the air. He’s looking like Jumpman logo, playing on the turf between two field goal posts. These aren’t just contested sideline catches, he’s fearless across the middle. In the same LSU game, you can see DeVonta drive on a slant where he beats Stingley across his face. Waiting for him in the middle is 215lb Jacoby Stevens. The defender drills him directly in the chest, but Smith pops right back up and gets back to business
It appears we’ve checked essentially every box when it comes to a draft profile for this guy. So the real question is, why is he falling down draft boards? The number one knock on DeVonta’s game has been in regard to his size. He is listed at 6’1 170lbs. Six feet and one inch is solid for a wide receiver, but 170 pounds is a little on the light side for an everyday NFL receiver. Being that light, and that tall creates more a slender build, and some teams see this as a red flag when it comes to durability at the position. Personally, I don’t believe this argument should hold any water. As previously mentioned, he played 47 games against the top College Football competition! Many of the players he has seen the last three years, are players he will be playing on Sundays. All these snaps, and he has yet to miss significant time due to injury. He played through a finger injury in the National Championship that limited him in the Senior Bowl. However, at Alabama’s recent pro day, the injury was still affecting and limiting him, but DeVonta came to compete and show up to support his guy Mac Jones. All these factors convince me that for being 170 pounds, he has acquired enough football knowledge to keep himself healthy and his unique body control helps him avoid significant contact. If Smith had suffered nagging foot/ankle injuries, or endured separated shoulders and lingering neck issues, his slender frame may have convinced me to think otherwise.
In my opinion, his lighter frame will not affect his play at the next level, and actually helps him stay quick in and out of breaks and helps him remain flexible when getting past defenders. Some scouts will question his ability to beat press at the next level due to his size as well. I’d love to agree with them, but when you watch the tape teams just elected to not press Smith many times. This is mainly due to how crafty he is with his release and breaks, that opposing corners struggle to get hands on him. If corners can’t make contact at the line on press, they’re already working from behind. Innate ability like this, will only add to his game and ability in the NFL.
In all, many draft pundits will say that Jamar Chase and/or Jaylen Waddle are in a tier by themselves in terms of Draft talent, with DeVonta Smith a notch below. I am here to plead my case and say, do not buy that nonsense. I believe DeVonta Smith is the 4th or 5th best player in this entire draft. I believe him and Jamar Chase are neck and neck as evaluations (The only edge I am giving Chase are the asinine testing numbers he posted in his pro day workout on March 31st since Smith didn’t test ). If your team is on the clock any time after the 4th pick and is looking for a wide receiver on April 29th. Look no further, teams should not only pound the table for a player of this caliber, but they should also break the entire table in half. He is a true playmaker and leader that can take your offense to the next level for the decade. He’s truly a remarkable, once-in-a generation talent.
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